North Korea
by SEALteamsteve
Summary: Jenna's death comes back to haunt the 5-0 team
1. Chapter 1

Steve McGarrett was in love. He had met Julia a couple of weeks ago when he and his Five-0 teammates had been unwinding at the bar on a Friday evening.

She was a new waitress and Steve was instantly smitten with her good looks and her gorgeous smile. The same traits that made women flock to the young Navy Seal had now caused his eyes to be drawn to the beautiful young brunette serving them their drinks.

As the hours passed and the alcohol took effect, the friends who knew him best all noticed the glances.

The youngest member of the team, and only female, Kono was the first to speak up, "Well Boss, looks like you may be catching more than a buzz here tonight"

Danny and Chin were grinning from ear to ear as they watched their leader begin to squirm uncomfortably in his chair. "What do you mean Kono?"

"Steven…..oh Steven…..we all know you so well my friend" Danny playfully punched his partner's shoulder and then looking at the others he added, "What do you guys say we leave our good buddy here alone so he can make his move in private?"

With that they shared goodbyes and moments later, young Julia Raye had taken a seat next to Steve and they sat sharing quiet conversation and drink ending the evening with a romantic walk along the beach.

Monday morning found the rest of the team waiting for an uncharacteristically late Steve. They were looking at files on a cold case they were working on as Steve came racing in, stuffing his shirttail into his khaki pants and running a hand through his uncombed hair.

"Jesus Steve, have you even been home since Friday"

No answer to that was even required as a smile crossed McGarretts faced and he simply stated "Good Morning, beautiful day isn't it?"

**50505050505050505050505050**

A couple of weeks later Chin found Danny sitting at his desk deep in thought.

"A penny for your thoughts brother?"

"Hey Chin…..I'm sure it's nothing"

"Something's bothering you. Come on, spill it"

Danny leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, "I'm worried about Steve"  
>"What are you talking about Danny? I think this is the happiest I've ever seen him"<p>

"It's all happening way too fast Chin. What do we really know about this girl?"  
>"What's there to know Danny? What secret past life could she possibly have?"<p>

"I don't know brother…it's just a gut feeling I've got. Something's just not right. She looks familiar….. but I just can't place where I know her from"

"Should we have Kono do a background check on her?"  
>Danny paused, "No…No…I'm sure it's nothing. You're right, Steve's happy and we need to be happy for him. Let's head home, we've got a busy day tomorrow"<p>

"Good Night Danny, see you in the morning"

**50505050505050505050505050**

Across town at the McGarrett home the young couple had finished the dinner that Julia had prepared and they sat cuddling on the couch sipping wine, watching the movie classic "Casablanca".

The fire was roaring and suddenly the room began to spin around Commander Steven J McGarrett.

"What's wrong sweetheart?"

Steve sat forward placing his head in his hands, "I…..don't know Julia….I'm dizzy"  
>"It must be the wine Steve"<br>"No…no….I…..I'vvve oonly ha..dd…." Before he could speak another word, Steve collapsed striking his forehead on the coffee table as he fell unconscious onto the floor.

Several hours later as the drugs wore off, Steve woke to a nightmare. He was in a cave and he was naked, hanging, his arms above his head. He was handcuffed and a rope was draped across a thick branch that ran across the ceiling of the cave. His feet dangled from the ground causing extreme pressure on his shoulders, arms and wrists.

He lifted his head and his eyes met hers…"Julia…..what is this?"

"She's dead Steve, she's dead because of you"

"Who? Who are you talking about?"

At that moment a man came into his view. Steve looked intently at the man who looked so familiar…."Do I know you?"

"You killed our sister McGarrett, and you will pay….with your life, but you will suffer first….I promise you, you will suffer"

"Your sister? I don't understand…who is your sister?"

Tears were flowing down Julia's cheeks, "My name is not Raye….Steve, its Kaye, Julia Kaye"

"Jenna was your sister?"  
>"My sister…and Jonathan's twin"<p>

"Julia, I didn't kill Jenna. I feel horrible about what happened to her and I will not stop until I find Wo-Fat, the man who killed her. He killed my parents too. What did Jenna tell you, what do you know about what happened in North Korea?"

"I know she went to North Korea to find Josh. She told me you were going along with her…..to protect her. All I know is that you came home and Jenna and Josh are dead…..you were supposed to protect her Steve"

Steve glanced at Jonathan who was nervously pacing the floor of the cave.

"Julia… Wo-Fat lied to Jenna, he kidnapped and killed Josh. He told Jenna that Josh was alive to lure her….and me to North Korea"

Jonathan hollered, "That makes no sense at all! What would Wo-Fat want with Jenna?"

"He didn't want Jenna, he wanted me…he wanted information and he got to me through Jenna…he told her what she wanted and needed to hear…that Josh was alive"

Those words set Jonathan off and he began beating Steve. He pummeled his mid-section, kidneys and chest. Blow after blow….Steve took the hits, gasping to pull air into his lungs. Jonathan did not stop until he was too tired to continue.

After the beating Jonathan left the cave. Several minutes passed before Steve could speak, "Julia…..look at me….look at me!"

Julia turned to face him as she spoke through tortured sobs, "You were supposed to…protect her…she trusted you"

Julia then turned and raced from the cave to join her brother.

The words cut into Steve hurting him more than any physical pain could. Tears welled in his eyes as his mind drifted back to that dark time.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been several months since that rescue mission to North Korea had turned deadly. He had spent many hours reflecting on what had happened.

He had been tortured by Wo-Fat and in the weeks that followed after Danny and his team had rescued him and as he recovered from the physical injuries, the mental torture had been even worse. He was haunted by nightmares as he played her death over and over again in his mind. He had become withdrawn and he just couldn't pull himself out of the despair and depression that took over his life.

Looking back on those days of darkness he knew that he would never have recovered if it hadn't been for his partner, Danno.

They had been partners for a little over a year at that time and though they had grown close, this crisis and _'that night'_ had bonded them deeply.

Steve had not been answering his phones that afternoon and as Danny arrived at the house to check on him he was alarmed at the sight before him. The house was a mess, dirty and cluttered. Beer bottles and containers of half eaten take-out and delivery meals were strewn about in the usually clean and tidy living room and kitchen. The smell of rotting food was overwhelming. As he searched the house for Steve his fear grew. Open medicine bottles covered the bathroom vanity, numerous pain pills and sleeping aids…..the bottles were all nearly empty meaning the injured man was taking more than the prescribed doses. Now fearing for his friend's life, Danny had raced through the house and into the back yard. His eyes frantically searched the horizon until he spotted his partner, lying spread eagle in the sand at the oceans edge.

As he reached the unconscious man's side he dropped to his knees holding his fingers to Steve's neck relieved to find a strong, steady pulse. The sun had set and it was a fairly cool evening as a storm was imminent. Steve was shirtless and barefoot, wearing only sweatpants. He was wet as the tide had been washing over him and several empty beer bottles were at his side. He slapped Steve's cheeks attempting to rouse him.

"Steve….Steve come on man wake up for me now…..STEVE !"

Eventually the drunken man's eyes opened and a broad crooked smile crossed his face, "DANNO ! Buddy….hheeyy…..good ttoo see you!"

Danny couldn't help but crack a smile of relief at his drunken friend, "Good to see you too, what are you doing out here?"

Steve struggled to a sitting position and laughed, "Just havin' a beer….oohhh….I'm kinda' wet"

"Yeah, you're kinda' wet. Come on you fool, let's get you into the house and into some dry clothes okay?"

Danny helped his friend to his feet and they staggered into the house.

As Steve went to change into dry clothes Danny started to brew a pot of coffee.

"STEVE, WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG, YOU OKAY?"  
>When we got no response, he climbed the stairs towards the bedroom. The lights were on in the bathroom and the door was closed. Not bothering to knock he opened the door alarmed to find his partner fumbling with the medicine bottles.<p>

Danny lunged forward knocking his partner to the floor. Taking his hand and brushing it across the vanity he sent the pills flying through the air.

"NO STEVE, NO MORE!"

"Danny…please…..I need the pills, I hurt brother…..I hurt"

Looking down at his partner, Danny Williams was terrified at what he saw. He had never seen Steve McGarrett like this, so scared…..so vulnerable. Kneeling at his side he placed a strong supportive hand on Steve's shoulder and that small gesture was too much. Steve began to shake uncontrollably and the words came haltingly,

"It's all my…..ffaaullt…..Danny, oh God…..it's all my ffauult"

Danny instinctively pulled Steve to his chest attempting to comfort the man he had grown to admire so much. He had never met anyone as strong and as confident as Steve and yet here he was, holding the man as his body was wracked with tortured sobs.

"It's going to be okay Steve, let it all out buddy…I'm here now, I've got you…"

They sat like this for a long time until Steve's body began to relax. Pulling him to arms length Danny again spoke, "The coffee should be ready, let's start sobering you up a bit now"

Danny stood and helped his partner to his feet and down into the kitchen. He cleared an area on the table and poured coffee for both of them.

"Are you hungry?"

"No Danno….I'm sorry man"

"You have nothing to be sorry for partner. I'm your friend and I'm worried about you. We need to talk about this but you have to sober up first so whether you're hungry or not, I need you to eat something"

"Alright…..Thanks Danno"

"You're welcome. Now you keep drinking that coffee, you hear me?"

"Yes sir"

Danny prepared some scrambled eggs and toast and the men ate in silence.

After brewing another pot of coffee, Danny sat to face his friend. "I talked to your Doctor earlier today Steve. He told me he gave you the okay to come back to work last week. Talk to me brother…." Steve sat with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands as Danny continued, "Look at you…..look at this place, Jesus Steve, you've got to snap out of this"

"She's dead because of me Danno…..it's my fault"

"You know that's not true. She betrayed you! You were tied up and you were tortured! I know you like to be the hero at all times but there was nothing you could have done for her Steve, nothing! You had no way of knowing that Wo-Fat was behind it"

"I see her in my dreams every night Danny. I can't sleep…Wo-Fat wanted me and he used her to find me. She'd be alive if it weren't for me and you know that"

"So what are you going to do stop living, just quit!"

"Danny, I just can't do this anymore. I've lost my parents, I've lost men under my command and I've lost partners…..nothing's ever hit me like this before…."

"Steve, I…..I can tell you that you are not to blame until I'm blue in the face…I cared about her too….if you don't remember she saved my life when I was exposed to the sarin. She knew of your connection to Wo-Fat and she chose to believe him. She betrayed you, hell Steve…she betrayed us, she betrayed 5-0 and if you need to hear somebody say it then here goes ….the only people responsible for Jenna's death are Wo-Fat and Jenna herself. I'm not going to just sit by and watch you kill yourself. I took this job so I could help clean up this island and keep it safe for my daughter and those I love. Nobody I know is better at their job than you are Steve. Now, are you going to quit and drink yourself to death or are you going to get back to work and help me find Wo-Fat. Your search for that son-of-a-bitch has been so you could avenge the deaths of your parents and now he's killed Jenna as well. We need to stop him Steve and I need you with me"

Steve looked into the eyes of his partner, "Thank You Danno, Thank You"

"I want you to go up to your room now, get some sleep and come in to the office in the morning, okay?"

The men stood and after a brief embrace, Steve went up to bed. Danny had stayed for several hours cleaning the house and doing his laundry.

That night Danny Williams had seen a side of Commander Steve McGarrett that very few people ever saw. He wasn't really Superman, he had fears and regrets, inner demons just like any other mortal. That night Steve and Danny became more than just partners, they were now truly family and they would be there for each other, always.


	3. Chapter 3

His memories of that night at his home flooded his mind as he scoured the cave trying to figure out where he was and how he could get out of this.

His team would not have a clue as to where he was, he needed to think…his head was foggy, he figured Julia must have poisoned his wine.

His hands were numb and his shoulders throbbed, _'think Steve, think'_

Julia and Jonathan returned to the cave, "What do you want from me?"

Jonathan spoke, "We already told you, we want to see you suffer…and we want to see you die"

With that he moved to a backpack and pulled out a bull whip. Steve closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he prepared himself for the pain to come.

As he snapped the whip onto the ground several times he again spoke, "Do you have anything else to say McGarrett?"

The decorated Navy Seal stared steely into his torturers eyes, "Give me your best shot"

As the whip struck his flesh again and again, Steve stifled his screams not wanting to give Jonathan any satisfaction. Tears welled in Julia's eyes as she watched the whip hit its target and the welts immediately form on Steve's shoulders, chest and thighs. After half a dozen strikes he moved to the back and resumed the wiping.

"JONATHAN, enough…..that's enough…..stop now…please stop now!"

"Julia, if can't handle this I need you to walk away! This is for Jenna, I'm doing this for Jenna!"

Steve looked to Julia and their eyes met, and Steve knew. This was his only way out alive…Julia would have to save him.

Steve had lost count on how many lashes he endured at nine. That strike across the middle of his back had split him open. His left shoulder had dislocated during the lashing and the pain was intense. His forehead had stopped bleeding and his face was caked in dried blood. He had no idea what time it was but after the beating Julia and Jonathan moved to the corner of the cave and soon they were sleeping.

Sleep would not come to Steve that night as he battled the horrific pain.

**505050505050505050505050**

Danny had just dropped Grace off at school when his phone rang.

"Hey Chin what's up?"

"Danny, have you heard from Steve?"

"He's not in yet? He planned on being in early?"

"No, he's not here and he's not answering his home or cell phone"

"I'll swing by his place right now brother and get back to you"

"Thanks man"

This was not normal for Steve, and Danny could not help but worry as he pulled into traffic racing towards his partners' home.

He arrived at the McGarrett home minutes later and raced towards the front door. He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed blood on the front steps and that the door was ajar. Drawing his gun, Danny tried to brace himself for what he may find.

"STEVE….STEVE !"  
>Receiving no answer he made his way into the kitchen. All the lights were on, empty dinner plates were on the table, clearly from the night before. He moved into the living room. The television was on and the young detectives' eyes were instantly drawn to the bloody carpet. There was also a wine glass spilled on the floor with a second wine glass along with the bottle sitting still upright on the table. He then moved swiftly through the rest of the house noting that nothing else appeared out of place.<p>

Walking outside he first tried Steve's cell phone which rolled straight to voice mail and then he called Chin.

"Chin, something's wrong. He's missing….there's blood"

"Hold tight brother. We're on our way and I'll contact HPD"

"Thanks brother"

Chin and Kono arrived soon, finding Danny back in the living room.

"I haven't touched anything"  
>Kono spotted the carpet and she spoke softly, "That's a lot of blood"<p>

Chin grasped her elbow firmly, "Take it easy cous', we're not even sure it's Steve's"

"It's his"  
>"How can you be so sure Danny?"<p>

"Who else could it be Chin? There are two plates on the table, two glasses of wine. It's obvious he was here with Julia and something happened"  
>Kono added, "So you think both Steve AND Julia are missing?"<p>

"That's why I think the blood is his. He would never let any harm come to her, he would fight"

"I'll run the DNA to be sure"

"Thanks Kono"

"Cous' take a sample of the wine in the broken glass as well"

A puzzled Danny looked to Chin, "What are thinking?"

"I'm not sure Danny. This just looks wrong…blood on the corner of the table, one broken glass…."  
>"You're right Chin. This glass and the bottle are still upright. There was no struggle here…."<p>

"So what, you guys think Steve was drugged and that Julia was behind it?"

Danny sighed deeply, running his hand through his hair. "We don't know anything yet Kono but we have to check it all. We'll finish up here. Give us a call when you get the results"  
>"Will do Danny"<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

The beating began again as soon as Jonathan woke. He used his fists and concentrated the blows on the lower abdomen and kidney area. He again pummeled Steve until his body tired and then he left the cave.

"Julia…..please…..you need to help me…..please"

"No Steve, you have to pay….Jonathan's my brother, I have to do as he asks"

"Julia, you know me…..I cared for Jenna very much. I risked my life to try and help her find Josh. I didn't know she had been listening to Wo-Fat. God Julia, I never wanted this to happen. I would have done anything to save her…I'm so sorry" Tears flowed down his cheeks as he looked at the woman he still loved.

"Oh Steve, she was my baby sister…..and she's gone"

"And if you don't help me now you're going to lose Jonathan too. My team will catch him and you know that. If I die, he'll get the death penalty….help me Julia"

Tears streaked her face as her eyes met Steve's, "I can't….I'm sorry but I can't" With that she turned and bolted from the cave.

Steve closed his eyes. He hoped Julia would come around, and soon. He knew he was in deep trouble. He was bleeding internally….he could feel it and he needed help.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

The men were just leaving the McGarrett's home as the call came in from Kono.

"Hey Kono, what did you find?"  
>"The blood is Steve's Danny"<br>"What about the wine?"  
>"There were traces of rohypnol in the blood sample and the wine, but no traces in the bottle or the unbroken glass"<p>

"Okay, let's think this through…."

"Danny, can you bring in the wineglass and the silverware they used last night. We need to find out more about her"

"Chin and I should be back at the office in a few minutes. Thank You Kono"

Chin looked at his friend noting the concerned look on this face.

"He was drugged?"

"Yes…I knew something wasn't right Chin, damn it I felt it in my gut….."  
>"We'll find him Danny"<br>"He lost a lot of blood brother"  
>"He'll be alright, he'll be alright"<p>

They pulled up to the 5-0 office a few minutes later and raced inside.

"Guys, what's going on here?"

Danny spoke, "I knew something was wrong. Things were just moving too quickly. There's something familiar about her and I just can't figure out where I know her from"

"Let's run these prints and the DNA and see what we find" Kono left to run the tests as Danny paced the floor anxiously.

"Calm down brother"  
>"Chin, we don't have a clue where to look for him"<br>"I know brother, I know"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Steve was struggling to maintain consciousness. He couldn't go into shock or he would die.

He was cold, so terribly cold. His body was shaking and every movement caused excruciating pain.

He had to talk to Julia again, he was running out of time and he knew it.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Kono came racing into Steve's office where Danny and Chin were looking through every thing on Steve's desk searching to see if he was working on something they were unaware of.

"What'd you find ?"  
>"No wonder she looks familiar guys, her name is not Julia Raye, it's Julia Kaye"<br>Danny ran his hands across his face and sighed deeply, "Jenna's sister?"  
>"Yes, and Jenna also had a twin brother, Jonathan"<br>Chin added, "Okay guys, but do we know they are behind Steve's disappearance. I just don't think we have enough to assume that"

"Chin, come on man what else can it be. She comes to town and seeks out McGarrett. She gives him a fake name and wins over our boy's heart in record time!"

"I know Danny, I just don't want to narrow our suspect pool so quickly. As much as we love Steve, there are a lot of people who hate him and want him dead"

"Okay, Kono can you stay here and keep going through his desk here. See if find anything unusual and Chin and I will start searching for him"

"Sure, where are you going to look?"  
>"I don't know, we'll start at Julia's place and see if we can find any clues"<br>"Okay, please stay in touch"  
>"You know we will sweetheart. We're gonna find him, we have to"<p>

**5050505050505050505050505050**

The beatings continued throughout the day. Steve's seal training while enabling him to endure the blows without screams was actually frustrating and angering his torturer even more.

In truth though, Steve McGarrett couldn't have screamed if he wanted to. He was dying and he had retreated into the deep recesses of his brain in an attempt to battle the pain. A small, weak smile crossed the injured man's lips as his thoughts took him to better times, safer times...

Julia couldn't take her eyes off Steve. His bruised and battered body nauseated her. The welts and bleeding from the whip were horrible but the bruising on his abdomen was the worst. She knew very little about trauma but it was very clear to her that Steve could not take much more of this. He hadn't spoken for several hours now but he occasionally would open his eyes and as she looked up at and her eyes met his, she knew...she couldn't let this happen. She had to stop Jonathan.

She looked to her brother, "Johnny, I need to take a short walk and clear my head okay?"  
>"Sure baby don't go far though. I don't think he can take much more here, we need to get ready to leave"<p>

Julia walked a ways from the cave keeping the entrance in her view and pulled out her cell phone.


	5. Chapter 5

Danny and Chin had found info on a motel in Julie's apartment. Assuming this was probably where Jonathan had been staying they were enroute when the call came in from Kono.

"Danny, I have Julia on the line, I'm tracing it hold on" He placed his phone on speaker and Kono transferred the call in.

"Julia, it's Danny...where are you, where's Steve?"  
>As soon as the question was asked, Julia began sobbing hysterically.<br>"Julia...come on baby talk to me. Where is Steve, is he okay?"  
>"I'm sorry Danny, I'm so sorry"<p>

The detectives hearts all sank as those words were spoken and Danny struggled to compose himself, "Julia...we know about Jonathan. Tell me, is Steve alive?"  
>"Yes...but he's badly hurt. Hurry Danny, please hurry"<br>Chin Ho Kelly let loose an audible sigh of relief as Danny continued, "Where are you?"

"I don't know the area well, but we're in a cave. We're close, about 30 minutes from Steve's house. Danny...please don't hurt Johnny. Jenna's death devastated him. He's really a good man...I just couldn't stop him. I'm so sorry"

Kono phoned in to Chin with the cell phone location.  
>"We've got the coordinates Danny"<p>

"Julia, we'll do everything we can, I promise. Now don't let him know we're coming and don't let him hurt Steve anymore, can you do that?"

"Yes, yes..."  
>"We've traced your location and we'll be there soon. Go back now so your brother doesn't get suspicious"<br>"Hurry Danny...oh God hurry"

The men raced towards the cave both silently praying for their leader.

50505050505050505050505050

The detectives pulled up, stopping about half a mile from the cave entrance. Using binoculars they spotted Jonathan nervously pacing and smoking a few feet from the entrance and they made their way towards him.

Thankfully he was still outside the entrance as Danny and Chin stealthfully moved in.  
>"5-0, PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"<br>The young man reached for the gun in his waistband and Chin Ho did not hesitate. He fired two shots hitting the man in the upper arm and shoulder, taking him down.  
>As he hit the ground he hollered to his sister, "KILL HIM JULIA, KILL HIM"<br>Hearing no shots Jonathan bowed his head sobbing, "No...Julia why...why?"  
>Chin Ho tended quickly to him, taking his gun and handcuffing him as Danny raced past them into the cave.<p>

The sight before him chilled him to the bone. His best friend and partner hanging naked and lifeless from the ceiling, covered in blood, welts and bruises.  
>"Oh my God...CHIN, I NEED YOU IN HERE!"<br>Chin was at his side in seconds grabbing the nearby ladder and moving towards Steve as Julia moved from the cave to check on her brother.  
>Chin scaled the ladder and began cutting away the ropes as Danny held Steve's lower body up attempting to relieve the pressure on the his arms.<br>Once the ropes were cut, Steve's body weight came crsshing down onto Danny causing him to stagger. Though he remained unconscious Steve moaned and cried out in pain as his wounds came into contact his Danny's body.  
>Chin moved quickly grabbing the sleeping bags and as tenderly as possible they laid Steve onto one and covered him tightly with the second.<p>

"Chin, have Kono send a Medivac chopper and HPD, we can't move him, he's bleeding internally"

As Chin left the cave to get cell phone reception, Danny tucked the sleeping back tighter around his partner. Steve's head was rolling from side to side and his moans tore into Danny's heart. He ran his fingers through the man's matted hair leaning closely to whisper to him.

"It's okay buddy...it's Danno, I'm here now. Help's on the way, you just stay with me Steve, you stay with me"  
>"Ddaanno..." His voice was so weak Danny hardly heard him.<br>"Yeah, Steve...Danno's here man. You're gonna be just fine now"  
>"Dannooo...it'ss Jullia..."<br>"Yeah buddy, we know. We've got her and her brother. You just relax now you hear me"  
>"Itt'ss bbaadd Daanny...I'm bbusted up insidde...hhurrts sso bbaddd"<p>

"Hey no more talking now okay...help's on the way so I need you to relax. I promise you, you're gonna be just fine. You're the toughest SOB I know, I just gotta keep you away from these crazy ladies"  
>A slight smile crossed McGarrett's lips.<br>"That a boy...you relax now. I've got you"  
>In seconds Steve again surrendered to the darkness and passed out.<p>

Chin returned a short time later, "How is he?"  
>Not wanting Steve to hear them they moved a few feet away.<br>"It's really bad man and he knows it"  
>"He's conscious?"<br>"For a minute or so, he wanted to tell me it was Julia and he told me he's busted up inside. He's freezing and his skin is clammy. Its bad man"

Their attention was drawn back to Steve as he began calling out, "DDANNOOO….OOOHHHH G..GGOD…DAANNNO" They both raced back kneeling at his side.

"Hey Steve, I'm right here man, I'm right here"  
>"Dannnoo….llisten brother…nnot gonna….mm..mmakee it….ttell Mary…I…I llovve her"<p>

"No, you have to hang on buddy. You don't even know HOW to quit Steve…." "DDannyyy ttoo….. llate….. mannn…..ppromisse me….teelll Cath…I'mmm so ssorryy"

"I'll call Catherine, you know she loves you man" Tears welled in Danny's eyes as the fear overwhelmed him.

"'K…'K…." Suddenly Steve's back arched in pain, "OOOHHH…GOD….."

Chin reached across Steve's body gently pushing him back onto the ground and holding his arms tightly as Danny placed a hand on Steve's forehead and spoke softly to him, "It's okay buddy….relax…..relax. Breathe slow now babe…..relax"

They then heard the chopper and Chin raced outside. "Hey buddy, hear that? The chopper's here, just hang on now"

In just a few moments the EMT's were at Steve's side. As they began checking over Steve his breathing became very labored and he began to flail and cry out in pain. Danny hollered, "Give him something for the pain, come on!"

"DDANN…..NNY…..HHELLP MME MMAN"

The EMT looked up at the detectives, "Let us do our job here!"

Danny continued, "JUST GIVE HIM SOME MORPHINE MAN!"

Chin grabbed Danny around the chest pulling him a few feet from the scene.

"Come on bro, they're taking care of him. You've got to calm down now"

Danny pulled away from his friend, "Yeah, yeah okay…..I'm fine" They were all relieved when a few minutes later Steve was given morphine and his body quickly relaxed.

The EMT's had him prepped and with Danny and Chin's help they were ready to leave a short time later. Chin offered to wait for HPD and Danny boarded the chopper with Steve.


	6. Chapter 6

They had only been on the chopper a few minutes when it happened, Steve crashed and stopped breathing. One of the EMT's began CPR while the other reached for the paddles. Danny sat with his hands wrapped behind his head nervously watching the life saving efforts. They shocked Steve three times and then again began CPR. Danny quietly urged his partner on, "Come on Steve…..breathe baby, breathe" He couldn't tear his eyes away from the injured abdomen which was blackened and puffy. The internal bleeding was obviously severe and Danny Williams now thought that Steve may really die.

The chopper landed on the roof of Hawaii General Hospital approximately four minutes later and they quickly raced Steve into the ER. They allowed Danny into the ER and he stood at the back of the room, in shock at the events transpiring before him. After another attempt with the paddles was unsuccessful the Doctor injected Steve in the thigh with epinephrine and they then again used the paddles. On the second attempt the heart began beating, "He's back. Prep him quickly there's no time to waste"

The Doctor then moved over to Danny and led him from the room. "Detective, tell me all you know. What happened to him?"

"He was drugged and kidnapped. He was beaten and whipped Doc. I don't have a lot of details"

"Do you know what drugs he was given?"

"I know he was given rohypnol last night. I don't know if they gave him anything else though"

"We'll run a quick test. We have to get him in the operating room right away, he's critical. I promise you that I'll do everything I can for him. I'll send someone out to update you periodically"

"He's very special Doc. I promise no one will fight harder than Steve. Thank You"

Danny stood watching from the doorway of the emergency room as they prepped Steve. A short time later they were wheeling him by stopping briefly so Danny could squeeze his shoulder, "Hang in there partner, I'm here for you"

Danny watched until they rounded the corner and then he turned and made his way to the waiting room. Kono was already there and moving to Danny's side they embraced.

"How is he?"

"Kono, it's very bad. His heart stopped. They were able to revive him but he's bleeding internally. They've taken him to surgery now. It's going to be a long night dear. Have you heard from Chin?"

"Yes, he should be here any minute, HPD took Julia into custody and Jonathan is on his way here by ambulance"

Danny walked over to the window, leaning against it, he stared out at the ocean as tears welled in his eyes. A short time later, his thoughts were interrupted as he was joined by Chin and Kono. "Let's get some coffee and talk"

They grabbed coffee and moved to a table in the corner of the waiting room.  
>They sat in silence for several moments, Danny sitting with his face in his hands.<p>

Eventually he broke the silence, "Minutes after we were in the air Steve went into cardiac arrest. They performed CPR and tried to shock him several times with the paddles. They didn't revive him until we were here and they had dosed him with epinephren"

"How long was he not breathing Danny?"  
>"It was seven to eight minutes"<br>"Oh my God" Kono pushed away from the table turning from the men, bowing her head and sobbing.

Chin stood and moved to his cousin's side pulling her into an embrace. He held her for several seconds before speaking, "Kono, he's young and strong. He have to believe that he will survive, we must stay strong"  
>Kono took a deep breath and brushed the tears from her eyes and they returned to the table. Danny reached across the table and grasped her hand.<br>She spoke quietly, her voice shaking, "Go on Danny, we need to know everything"  
>"Kono he was severely beaten and they whipped him"<br>"What?"

"The whipping left large welts on his chest and thighs. A strike across his back was the most severe. His skin was split and it was quite deep. He has a large gash on his forehead from where he struck the table and he lost a lot of blood from that. The worst injuries though appear to be to his abdomen and kidneys. He was beaten and is bleeding internally. He's in surgery now and they will keep us updated. Like Chin said, Steve's strong and he's the most stubborn person I've ever met...he's going to make it Kono, he's going to make it and we need to stay positive"

"I know, I love you all so much. Thank You"  
>Danny squeezed her hand tightly and smiled.<br>"I promised Steve I'd call Catherine. I'm going to go take care of that"  
>"Brother are you sure you don't want to wait until we know more. She's deployed, all she'll do is worry"<br>"She's got to know Chin"  
>"Alright man, it's your call"<br>They had taken Steve's cellphone from his house and Danny pulled it out and dialed Catherine's number.

She saw the number ring in and the face of the man the loved with all her heart appeared on the screen. Two months ago they had decided to part ways after an argument and they had only spoken a couple of times since then. They had fought because she had decided to re-enlist and Steve had been very upset about it. She loved him dearly but she also loved her job and she just was not willing to give that up, at least not yet. He had taken that as a sign that she was not as committed to their relationship as he was and they had argued. As she answered the phone she was thinking of ways to apologize to him.

"How's the most gorgeous Sailor I know? I've missed you"  
>"Catherine, it's Danny"<br>"Danny? Oh God...has something happened to Steve?"  
>"He's been hurt Catherine. He's in surgery now. Sweetheart, it's very serious, he's critical"<br>Catherine sank into her chair as Danny told her everything that had happened.  
>"Catherine, when are you due back?"<br>"In four days Danny. Oh my God this can't be happening"

"I will call you as soon as I get any updates at all. Catherine...he loves you very much. He wanted me to tell you he was sorry"  
>"Thank You Danny...please call me" Her voice trailed off as they ended their call.<p>

"How did Catherine take the news brother?"  
>"As good as can be expected, she'll be here on Friday. I need to call MaryAnn too"<br>"I'll take care of that. Just sit"  
>"No, I need to be doing something. This waiting is killing me"<p>

At that moment, a nurse entered the waiting room. "Mr. Williams?"  
>The three detectives raced to her side.<br>"I'm Danny Williams, how is he?"  
>"The Doctor wanted me to let you know that there is extensive internal bleeding but Mr. McGarrett is handling the surgery well. One of the Doctors will be out shortly to give you additional information"<p>

Danny shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, "Thank You"  
>As the nurse left, Danny let out a deep sigh, "Well she told us nothing we didn't already know" He reached out and slammed his fist against a vending machine in frustration.<br>Chin glanced at his friend and decided that no words need be spoken. They were all terrified of what was happening behind those operating room doors.

Danny called MaryAnn a short time later not giving her too many details so to not alarm her too much.  
>Chin approached Danny placing a supportive hand on his shoulder, "Is MaryAnn okay?"<br>"Yeah, I didn't tell her too much. She's going to text Steve's phone with her flight information as soon as she's got it. Now I guess we just wait"


	7. Chapter 7

A couple of hours passed before the Doctor entered the room. After brief introductions, he asked them to all sit on the couch and he sat facing them.

"Your friend is holding his own but his condition is extremely critical. His kidney had a Grade 4 laceration which means the renal artery was lacerated. That was the cause of the internal bleeding. We were able to repair the artery but he did require two blood transfusions. He also has a large tear in the lower, small intestine. This wound is causing us the most concern because it caused leakage of waste and gastric acids into the abdominal cavity. We have closed the wound and Doctor Peters' is finishing up cleaning the cavity now. There is always a risk of peritonitis with this type injury though"

Kono quickly spoke, "What's that Doctor?"

"Peritonitis is an inflammation of the thin wall of tissue that surrounds your internal organs. Peritonitis itself if very painful and if a bacterial infection also occurs we can have severe problems. So we will be watching him very closely for infection. The lashes he endured will heal but are very painful. The lash to his back was already infected and it took a great deal to clean that and over forty stitches to close. His left shoulder had been dislocated and although I'm sure it caused him horrible pain, we set that and it should heal fine"

Danny tried to steady his shaky voice as he spoke, "Doc, what about the heart attack?"  
>"Once he's out of surgery and stabilized we'll run a Cat scan to check his brain function and an EKG on the heart. Of course we're very concerned. His brain was without oxygen for seven minutes. Anything longer than four minutes can possibly lead to damage. Until we can run the tests though we really can not make any predictions"<p>

Danny added, "You say 'could' cause damage. But there may not be?"  
>"We can hope there will be no damage, but you need to be prepared. Your friend has a very difficult road of recovery ahead of him. There will be a lot of pain. I can honestly say when we first opened him up we didn't think he could possibly survive"<p>

"Doc, you don't know Steve McGarrett. He'll beat this...you'll see"  
>"I hope so. I promise we'll do everything we can for him. I will send a nurse in once we get him settled in the ICU"<br>"Will we be able to see him tonight?"  
>"Does he have any next of kin?"<br>"A sister on the mainland. She should be here tomorrow. I'm his POA"  
>"You can see him then, but just briefly. He will most likely be in the ICU for a couple of days. Do you have any more questions?"<br>"No Doc, Thank you so much for everything"  
>They all stood and shook hands with the Doctor and then they stood facing each other.<p>

"Would you two mind checking on Jonathan's condition and then go interrogate Julia. I need to stay here"  
>Chin spoke, "Of course brother, please keep us updated"<br>"You know I will" The three exchanged hugs and as Chin and Kono left the hospital, Danny made his way back to the window overlooking the ocean.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

About half an hour later Danny was pulled back to reality as his phone rang.  
>"Hey Chin"<br>"Anything new Danny?"  
>"No, not yet. How's it going?"<p>

"Jonathan is out of surgery and is in room 308. He's handcuffed to the bed and unconscious. HDP is standing guard and they'll contact me once he's able to talk. We're on our way to see Julia now"

"Okay man. Is Kono alright?"  
>"As good as can be bro. I don't think any of us will be okay until the boss is doing better"<br>"Yeah, you're right about that. Thanks babe"

A short time later a nurse entered the waiting room. "Mr. Williams?"  
>"Yes ma'am, that's me"<br>"I can take you to Mr. McGarrett now but you can only stay a few minutes"  
>"Okay, Thank You"<p>

"You'll need to wear scrubs, gloves and a mask. We need to do all we can to avoid infection"  
>Danny did as instructed and soon he was at Steve's side.<br>The sight terrified him. This perfect human specimen looked so gaunt and weak. He was deathly pale and he was hooked up to multiple machines with tubing everywhere. Danny instantly noticed the respirator which scared him because that meant Steve was not breathing on his own. He took Steve's hand in his and gently squeezed as he leaned in close.  
>"Hey buddy, it's Danno. I've called Catherine and MaryAnn and they'll be here soon. You're doing great and you need to keep fighting babe. We're all with you. I need you to rest now and these pretty nurses are going to take care of you. Love you man" Tears slid down Danny's cheeks as he gave Steve's hand a tighter squeeze and then turned and left the ICU.<p>

He stood lingering outside the ICU watching Steve through the window. He watched as the nurse recorded his vitals onto the chart at the end of the bed and checked his IV's.

The nurse came out of the room and looked to Danny, "He's doing very well Mr. Williams. His vitals are strong"

"The respirator…is he not able to breathe on his own?"

"It's only aiding him. He's breathing on his own. We'll keep him hooked up to the respirator until he's ready to leave the ICU"

"Is he in any pain?"

"No, if he were in pain his vitals would reflect that. I promise you we'll take very good care of him. A nurse will be posted with him around the clock. You'll want to be with him when he's in his own room recovering. I suggest you go home and get some rest now, he's in good hands. We have your contact info and we'll call you if anything changes. I'll give you the number to the nursing station here and you can call us at anytime to check on him. Do you have any other questions?"

"I'd like to stay a little longer if that's okay?"

"That's fine sir, take your time"  
>"Thank you….er, Jenny. Thank you for all you're doing for Steve"<p>

"You're welcome Mr. Williams"

"Call me Danny, please"

"You're welcome Danny" She smiled at the young detective and left him returning to Steve's side.

A short time later, sitting in his car, Danny dialed up Rachel. "Rachel….." His voice cracked with emotion.

"Danny, what's wrong?"

"Oh God Rachel…..it's Steve" The words caught in his throat as the picture of his dear friend flashed in his mind.

"Danny…tell me what happened?"

It took quite a while for Danny to relate all the information to his ex-wife as his emotions overwhelmed him. Once done Rachel spoke, "Danny, where are you now?"

"I'm in the parking lot of the hospital"

"Let me drop Grace off at Laura's house and let's meet for dinner, Stan's in Bejing on business"

"Thank you, I'd like that. I need to see how Chin and Kono are doing with the interrogation and give them an update on Steve first"

"Just stop over her when you're done, I'll be waiting"

"If it's going to be past eight I'll call you"

"Don't worry Danny, do what you need to do, I'll be here…bye now"

Danny then dialed Chin, "Talk to me Chin"

"We just finished up with Julia. Danny, they started planning revenge against Steve before Jenna was even buried. According to Julia, Jonathan is emotionally disturbed and losing his twin just sent him over the edge. She is truly remorseful and when it came right down to it she couldn't watch Steve die. She just wasn't strong enough to speak up against him, she was afraid of him. How's Steve, were you able to see him yet?"

"Yeah, I just left him. I'm going to be honest with you Chin he doesn't look good. He's very pale and they've got him on a respirator. The nurse says the respirator is just assisting his breathing but until they do the CAT scan and EKG in the morning I'm not going to be able to relax"

"I hear you brother. I talked to the HPD a while ago and we're not going to be able to talk to Jonathan until morning. Have you heard from MaryAnn?"

"Yes, she sent a text she'll arrive at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I told her I'd pick her up at the airport. Why don't you two call it a night and get some rest. The hospital is going to call me if there's any change in his condition. I'm going to go meet Rachel for dinner and then I'll head back up and check on him again"

"Okay Danny, call me if anything changes"  
>"I will brother, Thank You and good night"<br>"Get some rest man"


	8. Chapter 8

Danny arrived at Rachel's around 7:30 and was relieved to find that she had stopped and picked up Chinese take out for them. The last thing he wanted to do was be in the public at this time. As she answered the door and met him with a warm embrace all the fears of the day enveloped him and he began to sob and tremble in her arms. They had been divorced for a couple of years now but in times of trouble they would always pull together for strength.

They talked and Danny expressed to her his fear at the possibility of losing his friend and mentor. Steve McGarrett had quickly become 'family' and he could not fathom the thought of losing him. Eventually they heated the food but neither one could eat much as they picked at it and pushed it around the plate. Around 8:30 Danny called and spoke to nurse Jenny and was relieved to find that Steve was still resting comfortably and his vitals were strong. She was to be on duty until midnight and gave him the name of the night nurse, Shelly before once again imploring Danny to get some rest.  
>At 9:00 Danny decided he needed to go back to the hospital.<p>

"Danny, sweetheart you need to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day for you"  
>"Rachel I have to be there. Even if they won't let me in the room, I have to be there. Bring Gracie home and let her sleep in her own bed. Did you tell her anything?"<br>"No, she adores her 'Uncle Steve'. I don't want to worry her at this point"  
>"I agree, we shouldn't tell her anything yet. Thank you Rachel, I needed this very much"<br>"Danny, our marriage may have ended but I will always love you and you need to know that"  
>"I do, I love you too"<br>After another tender embrace Danny left to make his way back to the hospital.

**50505050505050505050505050**

When he arrived back at the ICU, Jenny was in tending to Steve, wiping his forehead and face with a cloth. Looking up and spotting Danny she came from the room.  
>"Danny, what are you doing here?"<br>"What's wrong?"  
>"He's running a low-grade fever"<br>"Oh no, so that means what? Infection?"

"Yes, but we know the back wound is infected. This isn't necessarily the abdomen. His vitals are steady and strong so we've increased the dose of his IV antibiotic and I'm just trying to keep him cool"  
>"I need to talk to him. Can I see him please?"<br>"Of course you can Danny"

Moments later, Danny was at his partner's side whispering words of encouragement to him as he held the cool damp cloth to his flushed face.  
>"Steve, I know you hear me buddy...it's Danno. You're doing great, and you've got to keep fighting man. I'm right here with you Steve"<p>

Danny continued the vigil over the next few hours and at about three o'clock in the morning Steve began to grow restless. He began to sweat profusely and moan. His head lolled back and forth his arms and legs moved slightly.  
>"Hey buddy, it's going to be okay, relax" Danny took hold of Steve's hand. "I've got you Steve, relax babe"<br>In just moments the soft moans intensified and Steve's back arched off the bed in pain.

"Shelly, give him something stronger for the pain, please..."  
>Steve's grip grew tighter in Danny's hand and it was clear he was in great pain. The monitors began beeping and other nurses were rushing into the room to assist.<br>Danny was holding Steve across the shoulders attempting to get him to relax, "GIVE HIM SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN DAMN IT"  
>Shelly grabbed Danny's arm, "Mr. Williams, the Doctor on call will be here in moments, I need to ask you to leave the room now please"<br>"I'm not leaving him until you give him something for the pain...I'm NOT"

Not having the time or the desire to fight with the detective, Shelly left the room returning a few minutes later with the young Doctor on call.  
>"Sir, we'll handle things here now, I need you to please leave the room"<br>After one final squeeze of his friend's hand Danny backed out of the room unable to take his eyes of Steve who's agonizing moans filled the room. After a quick examination the Doctor barked out instructions and soon Steve's body was relaxing back onto the bed as the drugs took him under.

The Doctor came out, identifying himself as Dr. Takina.  
>"I'm afraid your friend may have additional internal bleeding and we're prepping him for surgery. Doctor Peters' been called in and we will bring news to you in the waiting room as soon as we have it"<br>"Thank You Doctor" The men shook hands and Danny did as instructed moving to the waiting room.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

It was a little before four in the morning when Chin woke to the phone ringing at his bedside. He was very drowsy having fallen asleep finally around two o'clock.

"Danny, what's happening?"

"Chin I'm sorry to wake you. His fever spiked and they think he may still be bleeding. They've taken him back into surgery"

"Can you call Kono and let her know I'll pick her up in twenty minutes. Hang in there brother"

Within the hour Chin and Kono were with Danny once again waiting to here the fate of their friend. Kono embraced Danny, "What happened?"  
>Danny explained the rising fever and Steve's pain.<br>Chin added, "Did he wake at all?"  
>Danny slowly shook his head, "No, I kept talking to him but there was no response. His grip tightened on my hand but I think that was just due to the pain. I tell you it's sure hard watching our man of steel show that type of discomfort. It really worries me"<br>They all grabbed coffees and prepared themselves for the wait.


	9. Chapter 9

About six hours passed before Dr Peters' came to the waiting room.  
>"He handled the surgery well, he's a very strong young man. The intestinal incision had become infected and split open. We were hoping not to have to remove any of his intestine, but to assure that we can avoid additional infections we removed eight inches and then we performed a re-section ..."<p>

He was interrupted by Danny, "How is this going to affect him?"

"Long term, he should be fine. This is the type of surgery we would perform to remove a cancerous growth as an example. Short term we will keep him on a feeding tube until he heals and then we will slowly wean him onto solid foods. There is nearly five feet on intestines in the body, removing what we did should not cause any permanent issues for him. I did want to discuss the tests we've run with you, I understand you're Mr. McGarrett's power of attorney?"

Danny shook his head, "Yes sir I am. You can speak to all of us"

"His EKG shows minimal heart damage which is a very good sign and again can be attributed to his superior physical conditioning. But I'm afraid to tell you the Cat scan results show only minimal brain activity. Mr. McGarrett is in a coma"  
>Danny was seated between his two friends and Kono reached over to grasp his hand as he spoke, his voice soft and shaky, "What is his prognosis Doctor?"<p>

"It's far too soon to tell. Brain traumas are very unpredictable. I was informed though that his body reacted to the pain of the bleeding and that is a good sign. The nurse told me you spent a lot of time talking with him throughout the night. Did he exhibit any reaction, eye movement, moans or squeezing your hand?"  
>"No Doctor, nothing..."<p>

"It's very soon after the trauma so that is not surprising. Once he is out of the ICU and in his room it's important to keep talking with him, read to him, play music, attempt to prompt responses from him. He seems to be quite a fighter, don't give up on him"  
>"We'll never give up on him Doc, I promise you that. Thank You for all you've done and I'm sorry I gave the nurses a bit of a hard time. I'll apologize when I see them"<p>

"I promise you that's not necessary. You were simply looking out for your friend, just like they are, they understand. Do you have any more questions"  
>"When can I see him?"<br>"It will be about an hour. I'll have the nurse come get you once he's settled"  
>"Thank You"<p>

The three sat for several minutes in silence before Chin spoke, "Danny, we've got to stay positive man. He's beating this and we just have to be there for him"  
>All Danny could do was nod his head in agreement. He was exhausted and it was going to be a very long day.<p>

Chin again spoke, "Why don't I go check on Jonathan's condition and then head to the airport"

"MaryAnn, I almost forgot. Are sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. I'll call you and check in, you just take care of our boy"

"I'll come with you Chin"

"No Kono, you can stay here. I'll take care of things"

"Okay cous', let me walk you out" Chin squeezed Danny's shoulder as he and Kono left the waiting room.

Outside of the waiting room Kono and Chin embraced, "Kono try to get Danny to rest. He looks horrible. This is going to be a long haul, we have to stay strong and rested"

Chin wiped the tears from his cousins cheeks and kissed her gently before turning to walk away. Kono took a deep breath to compose herself and made her way back to Danny's side.  
>Danny was still sitting on the couch, staring at the ground. Kono knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his knee. "Danny, can I get you something to eat?"<br>"No, no I'm fine...Thank You"  
>"Okay, okay...I need you to lay down for me though. Just rest until you can see him" Before Danny could argue she had stood and was gently pushing him back onto the couch. "Danny you'll be no good to Steve if you aren't rested"<br>"Alright dear...you win. I need to call Catherine first though."  
>"I can do that"<p>

A small smile creased his face as he handed her Steve's phone, then lying back onto the couch he closed his weary eyes. He was exhausted and he knew the rest would do him well.  
>Kono moved over to the window and dialed Catherine. After giving her the update she turned back towards Danny, hearing him softly snoring. She covered him with a blanket from the back of the couch and then sitting in a nearby chair she sipped her coffee and waited.<p>

About ninety minutes later the nurse entered and Kono woke Danny.  
>"Hello Danny, he's settled. You can see him now"<br>Running his hand through his hair, he squeezed Kono's hand and nodded.  
>"Give him a kiss for me Danno"<p>

They smiled at each other and Danny followed Nurse Jenny to the ICU, talking as they walked, "How is he?"  
>"His vitals are steady. The Doctor has him on a higher dose of IV antibiotics and pain medication. His body has been through a lot. I'm looking forward to getting to know him once he regains consciousness. He's a very strong man"<br>"Very strong, and very special. And may I add extremely stubborn"

"Those are very good traits to have with injuries like these. All we can do for him at this point is monitor his pain and keep him as comfortable as possible. His body needs time to heal"  
>"I'm sure you've heard I caused quite a scene in here last night, I'm sorry"<br>"No worries. You love him and are concerned, we all understand that"  
>"Thank You" Once in their scrubs, they entered the room.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Danny took hold of his partners limp hand and leaned in close, "Hey buddy, it's Danno. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me Steve" He waited several seconds, closing his eyes and silently praying. "Well I'm going to keep talking to you so let me know when you've heard enough okay?" Danny leaned over and kissed Steve's forehead, "That's for Kono. She and Chin are working really hard on your case so you don't need to worry about anything but getting better. Chin went to pick up MaryAnn from the airport so she'll be up to see you soon"

Danny continued talking as Jenny monitored his vitals.

About an hour later a nurse popped her head in to let them know that MaryAnn had arrived and Danny went with Jenny to greet her.  
>In the waiting room, Danny pulled Steve's baby sister into an embrace and then they all sat to discuss his condition. Chin had filled her in on his ordeal but they needed to prepare her for what she would see. They then allowed MaryAnn and Danny to enter the ICU. She leaned in to kiss Steve as tears flowed down her cheeks. The tubes in his throat and nose as well as his arms were shocking. His upper body was not covered due to the machines he was hooked up to thus the welts and bruising from the lashes were visible. A large bandage covered his stomach and lower abdominal area from the surgery. But it was the sounds that scared her the most, the rhythmic, steady sounds of the respirator and the beeping of the monitors. She gently caressed his cheek and face, avoiding the sutured gash that ran about seven inches across his forehead. Her shoulders began to tremble and Danny moved behind her, grasping her shoulders in a show of support.<p>

She continued to softly sob and shake, unable to speak to her brother and eventually Danny spoke, "Mary, let's go get some fresh air. Nurse Jenny will take good care of him. Come On"  
>Leaning to kiss Steve again on the cheek Mary then turned towards Danny and taking his hand they left the ICU.<br>They went straight outside, sitting on a bench on a patio overlooking the ocean.

"It's like...like he's not...even there Danny"  
>"But he is. When he started bleeding last night, he felt the pain Mary, he felt it. As hard as it was to see him in pain, it was a sign that he is still with us! He squeezed my hand and he moaned. The Doctors say this can take time. We have to stay strong and be there for him no matter how long it takes. He needs you Mary. I know this is hard, I've shed many tears in the last 24 hours and I'm scared for him. But we can't quit on him. Now go ahead and cry and whenever you're ready we can go back in"<br>Placing his arm around Mary's shoulder, she laid her head against his chest and sobbed as Danny held her.

They sat like this for almost half an hour comforting each other and then they made their way back into the hospital.  
>After checking in on Steve and leaving Mary with him, Danny made his way to the waiting room where he found Chin on the phone.<br>Kono spoke, "He's talking to Governor Denning" Danny nodded. "How's MaryAnn?"  
>"It's tough Kono. We had to go outside for a bit. Seeing him on all those machines and all those tubes he's hooked up to...it's hard"<br>"Is he showing any signs of waking?"

"No...nothing. I need to give Rachel a call, she's left a couple of messages"

Danny moved a few feet away and dialed his ex.

Rachel answered on the first ring, "Danny, is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner Rach"

Danny went on to bring Rachel up to date on the situation and after assuring her that he had taken a short nap and that he was doing fine he talked briefly to Gracie.

"Hey Monkey, did you have fun at Laura's last night?...yeah…..did Mommy tell you I'm going to be really busy the next few days and may not be able to see you for a little while, but I promise I'll call you every day okay?...Danno loves you, bye now"

Chin also finished up his call, "Governor Denning sends his best. I told him we wanted to handle Jonathan's interrogation and he's a little concerned about that"  
>"Well I really don't give a damn about his concerns. Nobody is going to talk to that son-of-a bitch but us, you hear me?"<br>"I hear you brother. We have to stay calm though Danny and be professional about this. We can't have him getting off on a technicality"  
>"That's why you're going to be with me my dear friend, to keep me calm"<br>They all shared a now rare smile, and it felt good.  
>"Kono, I've let Nurse Jenny know to let you know if his condition changes. Chin and I need to pay a visit to Room 308"<br>"You two behave yourselves. I'll call you if I hear anything"

As the detectives entered room 308 and set eyes on the man who tortured Steve, their anger grew. Jonathan looked up from the bed and smirked causing Danny to lunge towards the bed, "You filthy son-of-a-bitch!"

Thankfully Chin was close and he grabbed his partner firmly around the chest pulling him back before Danny could reach the bedside.

"DANNY, DANNY, NO…..STOP…STOP DANNY….calm down now. If you can't handle this wait outside. We have to do this right"

"Alright…I'm fine Chin, let me go brother, I'm fine"

As Danny stood by, Chin read Kaye his rights and then began. "Why Jonathan? Did you really think you could kill the top law enforcement agent in Hawaii?"

"He killed my sister and he will die…he must die"

Danny then spoke, "Well you failed Kaye. McGarrett's alive, you failed"

Chin lifted his hand, stopping Danny. "Kaye, McGarrett didn't kill your sister. She lured him to North Korea! She was willing to sacrifice him to Wo-Fat to save her fiancé. McGarrett was being tortured. He was tied up and beaten. If he could have done anything to save her he would have. He would have died to save her. Now because of your misdirected anger you will be executed for kidnapping a law enforcement agent. Tell me Jonathan, is that what Jenna would have wanted for you?"

"I want to see my sister, I want to see Julia"

Danny then spoke, "Well you can't. Because of YOU, Julia is in jail and she will be for years. You have failed Jonathan"

"Well then I have nothing to say' As the detectives turned to leave, he added, "This isn't over, McGarrett will die"

Danny and Chin stopped dead in their tracks, his words chilling them to the bone. As they turned back towards the bed, Chin again held Danny back as he spoke, "What are you talking about. What have you done?" Jonathan looked up from his bed and simply laughed, an evil, hateful laugh.

Danny turned and raced from the room towards the elevator. Chin stopped briefly at the doorway instructing the HPD officer to keep a close eye on Kaye and then he joined Danny in the elevator.


	11. Chapter 11

"What are you thinking bro?"

"I don't know Chin but if he hired someone kill Steve…Jesus, I didn't even consider he could still be in danger"

"Calm down Danny, he could just be talking man. He's clearly insane, just calm down"

The two men raced from the elevator and charged into the ICU. Standing at the window they watched as Jenny and another nurse tended to Steve.

MaryAnn was no longer in the room and Jenny soon looked up and spotting them she came out to greet them. "How is he?"

"He was growing a little restless and it was upsetting his sister so she's in the waiting room"

"By 'restless' I take it you mean he was in pain?"

"Yes Danny, but his vitals are good. He's bound to have pain, and as the Doctor has told you that is a good sign that his brain is registering pain. Do you want to see him for a minute?"

Danny turned to Chin, "Go ahead brother" Chin nodded in thanks and Danny watched from the window. Danny's mind was racing, Steve was safe here in the ICU but once they moved him to his own room they would need to be with him every second.

Chin leaned close to his friend as he held his hand, "Hey Boss, it's Chin. Kono sends her love. We're all here with you. You're safe now Steve, just get better for us now you hear me?" Chin now understood even more the dread and fear that Danny was experiencing. There were no signs from Steve that he heard anything that was being said. He watched Steve's face for several minutes before giving his hand a final tight squeeze and then he turned and left the room.

As they left the ICU Danny looked up, "You alright brother?"

"Yeah, I think so…..Danny…."

"Don't even say it man, I know. We have to believe he'll make it Chin….we have to"

"So what should our next move be?"

"We need to post HPD outside the ICU. I think he's safe here but once he gets transferred to a regular room one of us will need to be with him around the clock"

"Danny, I don't agree that he's safe here"

"What do you mean?"

"When Kono and I were talking to Julia it was obvious that she was terrified of Jonathan, Danny who's to say he doesn't have somebody on the hospital staff here to finish his job? Nurse Jenny seems to have the most access to him, are you sure we can trust her?"

"I think so, but in this case…..in protecting our boy….no I don't trust anybody but us. I'll stay here, can you go update Kono and then go talk to Jenna. See if she can give us any ideas as to her brother's plans"

"Will do, keep him safe man"

Standing outside the ICU, Danny called the head of hospital security and filled him in on his concerns. He then contacted Governor Denning to update him.

"Do whatever you need to do to protect him Detective Williams. If you need anything from me, just let me know"

"Thank You Sir"

A few minutes later two hospital guards arrived and after posting them outside the ICU he went to talk to Nurse Jenny.

After explaining his concerns to Jenny he added, "We'll do everything we can to stay out of your way but we have to keep Steve safe"

"Danny, just do what you need to do"

"Can you tell me if you have any new nurses on staff in the ICU?"

"Do you think one of my staff could cause him harm?"

"Jenny, I'm sorry but we can't trust anyone. Steve has put away almost half the prison population in Hawaii and he has a lot of enemies. Our task force is a team of four and at times like these, we can only trust each other. One of us will be staying with him around the clock"

"Well detective, you can trust me. Whatever you need us to do, just let me know"

"You have the most important job, just take care of Steve….Thank you so much. I'm going to go to the waiting room and check on his sister, I'll be back in a few minutes" Jenny watched as the young detective left the ICU. She was in awe at the level of friendship, love and devotion that Danny had shown to his friend. Steve McGarrett must be a very special man and she prayed that one day she would get the chance to know him.

Danny sat with Kono and MaryAnn and explained all that had transpired.

"So Steve's life is still in danger?"

"It might be, and we're not going to take any chances Mary. We'll keep him safe, I promise you"

"I know you will. Steve loves you all very much…you're his family"

"And you're part of our family too Mary. Steve hated having to send you back to the mainland, he did it to protect you"

"I know he did. He's just like our Dad…..protecting everybody but himself…"

"I'm so sorry we didn't see this coming, we didn't protect him…"

"Oh Danny, I didn't mean it that way. From what Kono has told me, this woman played on his emotions. You didn't do anything wrong and Steve would be the first to admit that. This isn't your fault. Just please, keep him safe now, please keep him safe"

"We will Mary, I promise you we will"


	12. Chapter 12

The three then made their way back to the ICU and after donning scrubs they moved to Steve's side. Kono had not seen Steve yet and the sight rocked her to her core just as it had the others. Danny took her hand and led her to Steve's side.

As tears streamed down her cheeks she reached out and ran her gloved hand through Steve's hair, "Hey boss….."

She could not say anything else as her voice stuck in her throat.

Danny put his arm around her waist and guided her from the room where they embraced. "Oh God Danny….I'm sorry….."

"You don't have to be sorry honey. It's hit us all the same way. Remember what the Doctor said….this is going to take time. Get it all out girl….." Danny held Kono as she sobbed for several minutes on his shoulder. As they parted and Kono was wiping her eyes, Jenny joined them.

"Jenny, this is the final member of our team, Kono" The ladies shook hands, "It's nice to meet you Jenny. Thank you for all you've done for Steve"

"You're welcome and it's nice to meet you"

"Kono, I'm going to go see how Chin is doing with Julia. HPD should be here soon to take over for the hospital security. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine Danny. I've got things here" Danny turned and took a final glance at Steve before leaving and Kono moved back to his side.

Danny was reaching his car as the call came in from Chin, "Hey bro, does she know anything?"

"I don't think so Danny. She seems really shook up and worried about Steve. How is he?"

"No change brother. God Chin, I don't even know where to start"

"Danny, I think we all need to get a good night sleep and look at this with fresh eyes in the morning"

"No, I'm not leaving him alone Chin, I'll stay"

"You're exhausted and you're going to be no good to him if you don't sleep. We can put an HPD officer in the room as well. None of us had much sleep the last 40 hours"

"Okay man, I don't think MaryAnn should stay at Steve's place, just in case…."

"I should be back at the hospital in about fifteen minutes. I'll take Kono and MaryAnn both back to my place for the night"

"Sounds good, I'll call HPD for extra officers and I'll meet you back here, Thanks brother"

When Chin arrived, Danny was in the hallway giving instructions to the three HPD officers, Kamaka, Palakiko and Mattson.

Chin knew two of the officers well and he greeted them all with handshakes and then along with Officer Kamaka they made their way into the ICU. Jenny came from the room and they all discussed how the night would go. Palakiko and Mattson would stand guard outside the ICU with Kamaka in Steve's room. Jenny would be on duty until midnight and then Shelly would relieve her. Danny then added, "I'll be staying in a room just down the hall"

"Danny, come on man we discussed this, you need to sleep"

"I'll sleep Chin, don't worry. I just want to be close in case I'm needed"

MaryAnn, Kono and Chin all said their goodbyes to Steve and then Danny walked them all out. He then called Catherine and Rachel to update them for the night and then made his way back inside.

At Steve's side he took hold of his hand, "Hey buddy, you're doing great. You just need to keep fighting Superman, I'm here with you. Can you squeeze my hand Steve, squeeze my hand" Getting no response, he continued, "That's okay babe, you're tired…..so am I. You just rest now" Danny then moved over to Kamaka, "Stay alert brother, call my cell if you need anything"

"He'll be fine sir" The men shook hands and Danny and Jenny left the room.

It was nine o'clock and Jenny was on watch until midnight again. She agreed to call Danny once she was off duty with an update on Steve's condition and with that Danny made his way to a room down the hall that the hospital had provided for him. He was exhausted, and fell asleep within minutes of laying his head on the pillow.

Shelly had begun her shift at midnight, tonight she knew she had to make her move. She had to kill this man…for Johnny.

The officers outside the ICU would not even know what was happening, she only had to deal with the one in the room. At about 12:30 she prepared a cup of coffee for the officer slipping drugs into it to knock him out.

As he sat sipping the coffee, Shelly went through the motions of checking on Steve while glancing over at the officer every couple of minutes. The drugs acted fast and at about 12:50 she was convinced he was under enough for her to make her move.


	13. Chapter 13

Jenny Klumm entered her apartment at about one in the morning. She was leery about calling Danny, knowing how desperately he needed the sleep but she didn't want to answer to him in the morning so she reluctantly dialed his cell phone.

Danny woke and sitting up on the edge of the bed he answered this phone, "Hello?"

"Danny, its Jenny. I'm sorry to wake you"

"Is something wrong Jenny? What time is it?"

"Its 1:00, I'm home now and I just want you to know that Steve is resting comfortably. I'll be back on duty at nine o'clock and I'll see you then"

"Kono and MaryAnn will be there, Chin and I will be transferring Kaye from the hospital to the jail tomorrow morning"

"Kaye? Who's Kaye?"

"Jonathan Kaye, he's the man who injured Steve"

"Oh my God….Danny…..Johnny, its Johnny!"

"Jenny, what is it?"

"Danny…..of God, Johnny Kaye is Shelly's fiancé!"

Danny dropped his phone and raced from the room. The officers both stood, shocked as the detective came barreling down the hall and pushed past them. They followed Danny as he burst through the ICU door to see Shelly hovering Steve, pushing a pillow down on his face attempting to suffocate him.

"NO SHELLY NO !" Officer Mattson raced to the far side of the bed, grabbing her, pulling her away as Danny threw the pillow aside.

"STEVE, COME ON MAN, BREATHE…." Steve began to gasp, his unconscious body struggling to pull air into his lungs. "That's it baby, breathe, just breathe" Danny ran a hand through his partners' hair and bowed his head against Steve's chest, "Relax buddy…breathe…slow down Steve, in….out…slow down…."

Officer Mattson had handcuffed Shelly and taken from the room as Officer Palakiko checked on Officer Kamaka.

Danny looked over at the officers, "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, looks like he was drugged, I'll go get help" Palakiko left the room returning moments later with an on call Doctor and several Nurses. Danny stepped aside as they all tended frantically to Steve, hooking him back up to the respirator and numerous tubes and turning on all the life saving machines that Shelly had unplugged. After the Doctor had checked all the vitals, he turned to Danny.

"What happened in here?"

Danny's voice was shaking as he relayed everything to the Doctor, "Is he okay?"

"He's breathing on his own but we'll keep in on the respirator for now. His blood pressure is elevated but that should come down as his breathing regulates"

"Thank you Doc, can you tend to Officer Kamaka now?" The Doctor nodded and moved over to the unconscious officer.

Danny took Steve's hand in his as he watched the Doctor. Kamaka moaned and shook his head as he slowly came to, "WWWhhaat hhappened?"

"You'll be fine young man, we think you were drugged"

"McGarrett?"

"Commander McGarrett is alright" A nurse arrived with a wheelchair and they helped the officer into it and wheeled him from the room.

Danny spoke, "Is he going to be okay Doc?"

"We'll run tests on him, but it looks like he just needs to sleep it off. Let me check on your friend here again now" The Doctor re-checked his vitals, "His blood pressure is dropping and his color is better. There is still no eye movement though, is he responding at all to you?"

"No…nothing Doc"

"Keep talking to him, encourage him. Head traumas heal at different paces. Don't give up on him young man"

"I won't Doc, I promise you I won't"

As the nurses stayed to tend to Steve, Danny left the room to talk to the other officers. Palakiko was waiting for him, "Is McGarrett going to be okay?"

"Yes, we got there in time"

"I'm sorry Detective Williams, we really didn't….."

Danny interrupted him, "Hey…hey there's nothing to be sorry for. There's no way you could have known. Where's Shelly?"

"Mattson took her downtown to book her"

"Okay, we can see her in the morning. Can you watch him for me so I can go contact my team?"

"Of course"

Danny left the ICU and walked outside to get better cell reception.

Chin woke to the phone ringing at his bedside, "Danny, what is it?"

Danny explained everything that had transpired. Chin then spoke, "I'll be right there bro"

Danny added, "Don't wake the girls, they need to sleep"

"Yeah, I'll leave Kono a note. I'll be there shortly"


	14. Chapter 14

Chin arrived to find Palakiko standing guard outside the ICU, shaking his hand and chatting briefly before going inside.

He found Danny in the room, holding Steve's hand and talking to him as he moved to the other side of the bed.

"Hey Steve, Chin's here now. What do you say you wake up for us now? You've been sleeping long enough buddy, what do you say?"

Chin had taken hold of Steve's other hand and was squeezing it tightly, "Come on boss, open those pretty blue eyes for us"

The two men talked to Steve thoughout the night trying to urge any reaction, any sign at all that their friend was hearing them but to no avail.

Kono woke a little after seven o'clock and found Chin's note taped to the bathroom door and called her cousin's cell phone immediately.

The reception was not good in the ICU and Chin went outside to return her.

"Good Morning cous', did you sleep well?"

"Yeah Chin….what's going on? Is Steve okay?"

Chin explained everything that had happened while she slept. "What do you want me to do Chin?"

"Once you and Mary are ready why don't you come up and stay with Steve. Danny and I need to transport Kaye to the jail and we'll interrogate Shelly while we're there"

"We'll be there soon"

The Doctors came and took Steve for a new Cat scan a short time later as the detectives sat nervously in the waiting room. Kono and MaryAnn arrived while they were waiting. They all exchanged hugs and kisses and then sat at the table and sipped coffee as they waited.

Doctor Peters entered the waiting room about half an hour later and took a seat at the table. "He's back in his room resting. We removed him from the respirator and if he stays stable we will move him to his own room this afternoon"

Danny spoke, "This is good Doc, right? This is good?"

"Yes, physically he is healing. The Cat scan though still looks the same, there are no changes. I'm not too alarmed by this. The brain heals slowly, so please be patient"

"So there's no additional damage from last night?"

"There's no noticeable additional damage. Just be there, talk to him constantly. Urge him on"

"We will Doctor, Thank you. Can we see him?"

"Yes, of course and I'll be up to see him around four o'clock and we'll see about moving him"

They all stood and shook the Doctors hand and then Kono and MaryAnn made their way to the ICU as Danny and Chin made their way back to room 308 and Jonathan Kaye.

The men entered Room 308 to find Jonathan Kaye propped in bed eating his breakfast. Danny spoke, "Enjoy your last decent meal Johnny, I've heard prison food is even worse"

Pushing the plate away the man simply grinned at the 5-0 detectives.  
>"Johnny, Johnny...should we wipe that smug smile off his face Chin and tell him?"<p>

Chin then moved closer to the bedside, "It's over Kaye. Shelly's in custody and McGarrett is recovering. It's over...you failed"

"No, that's impossible. We had everything planned...you're lying to to me!"

Danny moved to the bedside and leaning over, he grabbed Jonathan by the front of his shirt and spoke in a hushed tone, "You failed. Our boy is safe and you had better listen to me and listen good. DON'T mess with us" Danny released his grip on Kaye's shirt and turned and left the room without speaking another word.  
>As Danny waited in the hallway, Chin stood guard as the medics prepared Kaye for the ambulance ride to the prison hospital.<p>

Back in Steve's room, Kono and MaryAnn talked to the unconscious man continuing the attempts to wake him from the comatose state. Kono watched as MaryAnn pleaded with her big brother, the fear and despair evident in her voice. Kono shared that fear, seeing Steve McGarrett so still and unresponsive chilled her to the bone and she sent out a silent prayer as tears again filled her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

The commute to the prison was uneventful and once Kaye was situated in the infirmary Danny and Chin made their way to interrogate Shelly.

She sat at the cold stone table, her hands cuffed and in her lap. She was tapping her foot nervously as Danny began.  
>"So Shelly, start at the the beginning. How do you know Jonathan Kaye?" <p>

She looked Danny straight in the eye, staring him down coldly.  
>"Shelly, it's over. Jonathan is going to be facing execution for his crimes. You can't protect him. Help yourself. Talk to us"<p>

"I met Johnny four years ago. I worked in the neonatal intensive care unit and he was an orderly. We dated and fell in love. A year ago we broke up because he had commitment issues. I love him with all my heart and the six months that we were apart were torturous on me. I couldn't function. I needed to take anti-depressants to get through the day and sleeping pills at night. Then Jenna died, and it destroyed Johnny. He came to me and told me of his plan to avenge her death by killing McGarrett. I tried to convince him not to go through with it, but his mind was set. He told me he wanted to marry me and that we would live happily ever after but that couldn't happen until McGarrett was dead. You have to understand, I love Johnny and I could not stand to see him torn like he was. He lost a part of himself when his twin died and the only way we could ever be happy was if we could avenge her and move on. I agreed to the back up plan of killing him in the ICU if Johnny's plan fell through"

"But you had to know that you would be caught?"  
>"It didn't matter. Once the plan failed I knew that Johnny would never again be a free man. If I cannot be with him...my life has no meaning, it's over"<p>

Danny was struggling to keep his composure as his brain was flooded with images of his partner, battling for his life across town. He stood from the table and began pacing the floor as Chin took over for him.  
>"We need to know what Julia knew" <p>

"I don't believe she knew anything about the back up plan. As far as I know, Johnny didn't tell her that we were even seeing each other again" 

"Okay, Thank you"  
>The interrogation was over and Shelly was taken away and the men waited for Julia to be brought in.<p>

The difference in the two women's demeanor could not have been more glaring. While Shelly had been stone faced and stoic, Julia was in tears before Danny even spoke a word.  
>She lifted her eyes to face him, "Danny...how's Steve?" <p>

"He's alive, but he's in a coma Julia. Chin told you all this and now we need answers" 

"Danny I told Chin everything...oh God I'm so sorry any of this happened" 

"We need to know about Shelly" 

"Shelly? Shelly who?" 

"Martin" 

"Shelly Martin is Jonathan's old girlfriend. What does she have to do with this? They haven't dated in over a year"

Danny explained the past night events and the attempt on Steve's life.  
>"Danny, I swear to you I knew nothing about that. My God Johnny..." <p>

She began sobbing uncontrollably and Danny waited several minutes until she calmed down. "I believe you Julia. Shelly told us you knew nothing about her role in this" 

"Danny, please tell Steve...tell Steve how sorry I am" 

"I hope to God that he recovers so I can tell him" With that, Danny and Chin left the room and the sobbing woman behind them.

**50505050505050505050**

On the way back to the hospital Danny touched base with Rachel and Catherine updating them on all the events.  
>The men finally decided that they needed to eat. Neither one had much of an appetite but they stopped and had a burger and fries picking up orders to take back to the girls as well.<br>Upon arriving back at the hospital they were relieved to again see two HPD officers standing guard outside the ICU.  
>Danny took over tending to Steve while Chin took the girls down to the waiting room so they could eat while he filled them in with interrogations.<p>

Danny stood over Steve taking his hand in his, "Hey brother...enough of his deep sleep garbage, its about time you woke. I'm missing all the crap you give me everyday, in fact it's making me a bit crabby" Danny's voice caught in his throat as his emotions began to get the better of him. "Come on Steve, squeeze my hand...give me a sign" Still receiving no response from his friend Danny continued talking to him until a short time later when Dr Peters' entered the room. 

"Any movement at all?" 

"No Doc, nothing" 

"Let's take a look at him here" 

Danny watched as the Doctor checked Steve over and then spoke, "Well, I think we can move this young man to his own room. It will certainly be more comfortable for you" 

"That's great Doc, Thank You"  
>Danny left to go join the others as the Nurses and orderlies came in to prep and move him.<p>

At a little after three o'clock Steve was in his own room and resting comfortably. It was decided that Danny and Chin would go home to sleep and Kono and MaryAnn would stay. Danny would come back and relieve them around midnight.  
>The small group then began their around the clock care for Steve, talking to him constantly, trying to pull him back to land of the living.<br>Catherine arrived the next day and joined in the vigil which went on for days.


	16. Chapter 16

Danny was on the midnight shift with Steve twelve days after he had entered the hospital when it happened. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and Danny was leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, holding Steve's hand and chatting to his boss, giving him details of a new case 5-0 had started working the day before, when he felt it. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him and he bolted up to the bedside.  
>"Steve, Steve...if you hear me, squeeze my hand babe, squeeze my hand"<p>

We watched their hands as Steve's finger's slowly squeezed around his, "That a boy ! Can you open your eyes now buddy, come on, open your eyes"  
>It took several seconds but eventually Steve's eyes began to slowly flutter open and they came into focus on his partner and best friend who had tears of joy streaming down his cheeks and a smile wider than Steve had ever seen.<p>

"Dannnoooo"

"Yeah buddy, welcome back"

Steve's voice was very soft and Danny leaned in close, "Why….you crying?"

"These are happy tears babe, happy tears… are you in pain Steve?"

"It's not too….bad…..I'm th…hirssty"

"Let me call the nurse first. They've got you on IV's and a feeding tube, I'm not sure if they'll give you water just yet" Danny leaned over and pressed the nurses call button. "Now you don't hurt 'too bad', what's that mean? Where do you hurt and don't sugarcoat it you hear me?"

"Yes sir….my belly hurts…my….back…..Danno…..what hhhappened man?"

"Do you remember anything about the cave?"

Steve's eyes closed and several seconds later, tears slid down his cheeks. "Julia…"

Danny gently wiped the tears from Steve's cheeks. The two remained quiet for several minutes as Danny knew Steve was pained by the memories flooding his mind. Steve was still quiet when the nurse came into the room.

"Mr. Williams, Can I help you?"

Steve opened his eyes as Danny turned towards her, "Yes, our patient here is thirsty. Can he have water?"

"This is wonderful. Hello Mr. McGarrett, can you tell me how you feel?"

"I'm...tthirstyy, my...throat hurtss"

"That's due to the respirator. I'll need to check with the Doctor to see if I can get you water. For now, I'll bring you a wet cloth to moisten your mouth. Can you tell me if you hurt elsewhere?"

"My...stomach hhurts...and my bback, not bad though"

"Okay, let me get the cloth and then I'll contact the Doctor"

Danny smiled at the nurse, "Thank you Nikki"

She left the room, as Danny smiled broadly and looked back down at his partner, "God buddy, it's so good to have you awake. You really had us worried"

"I heard...you...Dan..nnoo...I heard yyyouu"

"You mean when you were out, you could hear us?"

"Uhh...hhuh..."

Nurse Nikki returned with the cloth and water and Danny held it to Steve's lips.

As Nikki left she let them know that the Doctor was handling an emergency and would be in to see him in about an hour, "Do you need me to increase your pain medication Mr. McGarrett?"

"No...no...I'm ffine...Thank you"

Once Nikki left the room Steve looked up at Danny, "Danno...Julia...where's Julia?"

"She's alright Steve, she's in jail right now"

"Did she...ttell you...wwhy?" Steve's grip on Danny's hand tightened and his facial features contorted in pain.

"Squeeze tight babe, I got you" Danny held his hand firmly until his grip began to relax. "Steve, let me have Nikki increase your meds"

"No...Danny...no...don't want to sleeppp mman...no mmore meds. Julia...wwhyy?"

Steve was sweating as the pain was obviously severe and Danny was not going to sit by and watch this. He leaned over and pushed the Nurses call button.  
>"Hey Steve, we'll talk about Julia later okay? I just need you to get better now. I'm going to have Nikki give you more meds and I need you to rest until the Doctor gets here"<p>

"No...Ddanno no meds...please Dannno"

"It's no use arguing with me buddy 'cause you're going to lose. You need the meds and I need you to relax. Slow down your breathing now, calm down"

Nikki entered the room, "Nikki, he does need more pain meds please"  
>She increased the drip of pain meds entering Steve's forearm and then she fetched a cool wet cloth which she placed on Steve's forehead before she left the room.<p>

Danny held his partners hand and with his other hand he wiped his sweat drenched brow as he spoke soothingly to him, "Just relax Steve, no more talking. Rest now buddy"

"Dannyy...I hheard you...man...love you too"

"Ssshhhh...sleep now Steve, I'm right here. Sleep now"  
>In just minutes the drugs took Steve McGarrett under. He decided not to call the others until after the Doctor examined him. Danny Williams took a seat and smiled at his best friend sending out a prayer of thanks.<p>

Danny dozed off as well, waking when the Doctor arrived around 4:30.  
>The Doctor checked Steve's vitals and examined the wounds but the injured man continued to sleep. "Did he seem coherent to you Mr. Williams?"<p>

"Yes, he did. He seems to remember what happened. Should he be in this much pain though Doc?"

"Oh certainly. He had multiple surgeries with deep incisions through muscle and tissue. His back wound was also very deep. The fact that he has been bedridden this long doesn't help either. The body stiffens up. Even in his excellent physical condition this is normal. His body is weakened. I'll order another Cat scan now to see if there are any noticeable abnormalities but this is wonderful news and very encouraging. His vitals are strong and he's showing no signs of any additional infections. We'll talk again after the Cat scan"

"Thank You Doc" Danny stood and shook hands with the Doctor and then turned back to Steve who was moaning softly. He ran a hand through the sleeping man's hair,

"Relax Steve, just sleep now" Once he was convinced that Steve was truly under, Danny made his way to the side of the room and called the others with the good news.

Steve woke about twenty minutes later, "Danno?"

Danny moved quickly to his side, "I'm right here, how do you feel?"

"Dopey..."

Danny chuckled, "Dopey? Well that's better than being in pain, isn't it?"

"No...can handle pain...hate drugs"

"Well Superman, until you're strong enough to fight me on this I'm going to have them give you the drugs"

"Danny, no... no more drugs...please"

"How about if we talk about this when you're not quite so 'dopey', Can we agree to that partner?"

"Yeah...'K...has the Doc...been in?"

"You slept through the visit. He said you're looking good. The wounds are healing babe, it's just going to take time. They're going to take you down for another Cat scan soon here to see how that brain of yours is working so I, my friend am a bit concerned about that"  
>Steve chuckled bringing a smile to Danno's face.<p>

"I've called Chin and the girls and they should all be her soon"

"The girls?"

"Catherine and MaryAnn are here Steve. We've all been with you brother. Like I said, you've had us all worried to death these last two weeks"

"Two weeks?"

"Well twelve days actually, but it feels like a lot longer. You were in a coma Steve. That's why they want to run the Cat scan. Can you tell me everything you remember?"

"I remember having dinner, we were sitting on the couch...the wine..."

"Julia drugged you Steve, she gave you rohypnol"

Steve closed his eyes, sighed and went on, "I was beaten with a bullwhip but mostly fists..." Steve's grasp on Danny's hand tightened as he re-lived the beating in his mind.

"It's okay Steve..."

"My shoulder...my arms...oh God Julia...why?" His breathing became very fast and he again was sweating profusely.

"Hey buddy, it's over...I'm here now. Relax now, sssshhhh. Slow down your breathing for me...come on, relax"

It took several minutes for Steve to calm down as Danny wiped his face and head with a cool cloth.

Once he was calm Danny spoke, "Steve, I need you to listen to me now. Julia and Jonathan are Jenna's siblings"

"Yeah...they told me...my fault...my fault Danno"

"Okay partner, I know that's the drugs talking because we've been over this a hundred times remember. Steven, what happened to Jenna is NOT your fault and her brother snapping is definitely NOT your fault"

Tears were sliding down Steve's cheeks, "I...I loved her Danno"

Danny reached over and wiped the tears, "I know that Steve, and I'm so sorry she hurt you like this. When it came right down to it though, she couldn't watch you die and she called me Steve. That's how we found you. She wanted me to tell you how sorry she was...she loved you too Steve"

"She called you?"

Danny then told Steve everything about the rescue and what had happened to him in the hospital.

When done he added, "Steve, I can sure tell you that someone else loves you very much…..Catherine. She's been frantic with worry for you and she got here as soon as she could. It's been hard to pull her away from you for even a minute. She loves you man. You have a second chance with her and as your friend I'm telling you that I sure hope you make the best of it"

Steve looked up at his dear friend, "Thank you Danno. Thank you for everything"

At that moment the Nurses and orderlies came in to take Steve down for his Cat scan.

Once they had him situated on the table, Danny grabbed his hand, "See you when you get back buddy"


	17. Chapter 17

The others arrived at the hospital while Steve was having his test.  
>After many hugs, kisses and lots of smiles, Danny filled them all in.<p>

"He's awake, he's alert... he's wonderful ! His memory seems to be intact. He's very sore and he's very hurt knowing that Julia was a part of this" He turned and looked at Catherine, "He's very happy you're here Catherine, he really needs you right now"

Wiping tears away Catherine spoke, "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere"

Danny moved to her and embraced her, "Good" Looking back to everyone he continued, "I don't want any of you to be alarmed, he is still in a lot of pain.  
>The Doctor told me thats normal and once he's able to get out of bed and move his muscles the pain will lessen. He's fighting me big time though on taking pain meds"<p>

MaryAnn jumped in, "That's no surprise, he's always hated taking anything. He broke his leg when he was twelve and Dad couldn't even get him to take an aspirin. I think he's a massochist" They were all chuckling over that when Steve was wheeled back into the room.

Danny spoke first, "Well here's the man!"

Steve turned his head towards his friends and smiled, "What's so...funny?"

Catherine quickly moved over and tenderly kissed Steve's cheek, "Hello sweetheart, I love you"

Steve spoke quietly, "I love you too Cath"

The nurses had them all step out of the room so they could transfer him back into his bed and soon they were all again sitting around Steve, chatting, smiling, laughing and crying. Steve was back and they all now knew that he would recover.

A couple of hours later the Doctor came back into the room.  
>"Hello everybody, I hope you're all feeling good today. It looks like our patient has giving us a very welcome gift today by waking up. I need to talk to him and if Mr. Williams can stay, I'd like the rest of you to go to the waiting room for a few minutes" Chin grasped Steve's hand and the girls all leaned in to kiss him as they made their way from the room.<p>

"So Steve, let me first tell you that the Cat scan came back normal. There are no signs at all of any permanent damage. I'm sure Danny has filled you in on the resuscitation efforts we had to perform on you when you first arrived here. All the tests we have run over the last two weeks show only very minor damage to your heart and in your physical condition that damage should cause you no long term effects. From what your partner tells me, you are not the most patient of souls but I need you to listen to me. You cannot push yourself too hard, it will take time for you to recover. Your body has been weakened greatly and if you push too hard, too fast you could further damage your heart or kidney"

"I'll watch him Doc, I promise you"

"Good. Do you have any questions Steve"

"No Doc. Thank you for everything you've done for me"

"I tell you young man, you truly defied the odds. When we first opened you up we thought your chance of even surviving was about 20%. The fact that you will be able to walk out of here in a couple of weeks and fully recover is a miracle. Please follow our instructions to the tee and don't get frustrated"

Steve then spoke, "A couple more weeks in here? How...long until I can get back... to work?"

"At least 8-10 weeks Steve. It's not like you have a nice and quiet desk job"

"Well Doc, you just gave me one of the toughest assignments ever. Keeping Mr. SuperSeal down for 10 weeks is going to me torture on ME!"

"Eight...Danno...Eight weeks...not ten"

"See what I mean Doc! The man is impossible!"

They all chuckled as the Doctor continued, "Well then Mr. Williams, I'm counting on you. Steve, I need you to rate your pain for me now on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the most severe"

"Ummmm...a five, six maybe..."

Danny chimed in, "No, no, no...Steven I know you too well my friend. We're looking for your human pain level, not Superman...tell us the truth brother"

He spoke as he closed his eyes and grimaced, "Alright...aallrightt...I guess it's about...a eight. It's not...too baddd"

"I'm going to increase your IV drip on the pain meds..."

"Don't like drugsss...Doc"

"And that's good Steve, but right now young man you need them. Your body is recovering. Being in severe pain unnecessarily could put extra strain on your heart. You need to sleep and sleep a lot, let the medication work for you"

Danny then added, "What's the next step Doc?"

"I'm going to have you leave for now and I am going to remove his feeding tube, catheter and IV's. He can start taking in water and we'll start him on a liquid diet for lunch. We need to assess his kidney functions and get him up and moving. Getting into the bathroom and back will be our only goal for the next couple of days. At least for the next three to four days we should keep his visitors down to one at a time. It is fine for someone to be here around the clock as long as he's getting the rest he needs. Do you have any questions?"

Both men stated no and Danny grabbed Steve's hand, "I think you'll probably want Catherine up here with you today. You behave yourself and do what you're told because I'll be checking up on you. I'll see you tonight okay?"

"Thanks buddy...for...everything"

Danny filled the others in and after leaving his cell number with Catherine they all left the hospital.

Chin and Kono would work their current case and Danny would drop MaryAnn off at Steve's house and then go get some well deserved sleep before going back to the hospital for a few hours and then Kono would relieve him for the overnight shift.


	18. Chapter 18

When Catherine was allowed back in the room, Steve was sleeping. She leaned and kissed him tenderly and then sitting down, she took his hand into hers and sobbed as the emotions of the last two weeks sunk in. The relief was overwhelming, the man she loved was alive and she would never let him go again. If he wanted her to leave the Navy, she would. Catherine now realized that nothing mattered to her more in life than being with this man. She held his hand against her cheek dampening it with her tears of joy and her soft butterfly kisses.

Steve slept until they brought his lunch in to him. The unappealing meal of chicken broth, tea and cherry jello brought nothing but a turned up nose from the weary patient.

Once the Nurse left, Steve pulled his attention from the tray and smiled at the beautiful lady at his side.

"Thanks for being here Cath. Danny tells me you've been here all along, I appreciate that very much"

"I was so afraid I'd lose you Steve. Oh God I'm so, so sorry for everything. I love you so much" Tears again slipped from her eyes as Steve raised his hand to her cheek to wipe them away.

"Hey no tears baby. I'm going to be fine, I promise. I love you too Catherine..."

"Ssshhhh Steve, I need you to listen and let me finish... I'll leave the Navy if you still want me, I'll leave the Navy. I want to be with you Steve, I need to be with you...nothing else matters to me"

"Cath, no...I was wrong to ask you to leave your career. It was very selfish of me to ask you to do that and I'm so sorry. We'll make this work Cath,

I love you sweetheart and I'm so sorry I hurt you"

Catherine stood and leaning over they shared a passionate kiss.  
>After about a minute Steve chuckled, "I think we better stop now baby... I'm sure glad they removed the catheter"<p>

Catherine then pulled the dinner tray over, "Let's turn your mind to your food what do you say?"

"Yes ma'am" And there it was, that lovely boyish grin that Catherine loved so much. Steve ate, or actually drank a small amount, "This is horrible Cath"

"Steven, you must eat. They need to make sure your kidneys are functioning"

"Oh God, you're going to be as bad as Danny aren't you?"

"If you mean are we going to be tough on you and make you follow the Doctors orders, yes...I'll probably be even worse than Danny...that's what partners' are for, right?"

"Okay, okay... Thank you Cath" He drank a bit more of the broth, "Honey, I'm pretty tired"

Catherine moved the tray away and helped Steve settle back on to his pillows, "There you go, are you comfy?"

"Yes, sorry...just need to close my eyes for a few minutes"

Catherine kissed him again, "Don't be silly, I'll be right here with you my dear" Within minutes Steve had drifted off to sleep.

About an hour later Steve began to moan softly and suddenly without notice his eyes jolted open and he turned his body sideways towards Catherine and began vomiting violently. Catherine stood, cradling his head over the side of the bed until he was finished. Reaching to the nearby tray she grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth before helping turn him back over onto his back. His body was shaking as pain shot through his body. She held his head and whispered softly to him, "Relax sweetheart, I've got you" Catherine hit the nurses call button and continued to try to soothe Steve, "Breathe slowly baby, you'll be alright" The nurse arrived quickly and calling two orderlies they helped Steve move to a nearby chair so they could put fresh linens on the bed and clean the floor.

Catherine knelt beside him, placing a hand on his knee. "Are you feeling better?"  
>"Yeah, yeah babe... I told you it was horrible" Steve's voice was soft and shaky.<p>

Two Nurses came to Steve's side and with Catherine's help they guided him slowly into the bathroom. He was able to urinate and they helped him change his gown and cleaned him up before taking him back to his bed.

A nurse then asked him to rate his pain level. "About a seven, eight...I feel nauseated...my head's...spinning"

The nurse gave him another dose of pain meds and in minutes he was again under and resting comfortably.

Danny woke about four o'clock finally feeling rested. He called Catherine's cell and she moved to the side of the room so not to wake Steve.

"Hey Catherine, how's our boy?"

"He's hurting Danny. He wasn't able to hold his lunch down and the retching hurt him quite a bit. We had to get him out of bed to clean him and change the bedding and he was able to urinate when he was up, so that's good. Once we got him back into bed the nurse gave him a higher dose of pain meds and he's sleeping comfortably now"

"Are you okay? Do you need me up there right away?"

"No, don't rush. He's sleeping, I'm just fine"

"I'm going to shower and then stop and take Gracie out to dinner, I haven't seen much of her the last couple of weeks and now that Steve's awake I can tell her what's happening. She's going to want to see him soon"

"I'm sure he'll love it. Take your time hun, he'll be fine"


	19. Chapter 19

A little over an hour later Danny was sitting with Gracie in her favorite little burger joint as they ate and chatted about school.  
>"Danno, is everything okay?"<p>

"Of course it is Monkey? Why do you think something's wrong?"

"I haven't been able to see you much lately. Mommy says you're just working a really important case but you've seemed kinda' sad. You seem happier today though!"

"I am much happier today and you are so smart my dear child. I'm going to tell you what happened, but I don't want you to worry because everything's okay now, alright?" Gracie shook her head and Danny continued, "Two weeks ago your Uncle Steve was hurt very badly and Danno's been with him most of the time.  
>He hurt his brain baby and he's been in a coma, that means that he was sleeping and he couldn't wake up, but he's awake now and he's going to be just fine"<p>

Tears were welling in the little girls eyes, "Is Uncle Steve's brain going to be okay?"

"YES, yes Monkey, come over here" Gracie slid from her seat in the booth and moved to the other side slipping in next to her father. Danny pulled her close to him, kissing her on the top of the head. "You know how tough and how crazy your Uncle Steve is and he's going to be just fine, I promise you Monkey, I promise you! I'll take you up to see him in a couple of days okay?"

"I want to see him now Danno, I want to see him now"  
>Seeing the fear in his baby's eyes he knew he had to take her because she would not rest until she saw him. She sure loved her 'Uncle Steve'.<p>

"Let me call and see how he's feeling okay Monkey" Gracie nodded in agreement as Danny dialed Catherine's number.

"Hi Catherine, how's Steve feeling? Is he awake?"

"Yes Danny, he's awake and alert. He's refusing to eat anything though...he's so stubborn"

"Oh yes, the Steven we know and love. Can I talk to him for a minute?"

Catherine handed the phone off, "Hey Danno. Don't even start on me about the food. This is not my idea of a 'liquid diet' if you know what I mean brother"

"Your stomach can't even handle chicken broth from what I hear and you want a beer? Hey brother seriously, I've got a little Monkey here who's very worried about her Uncle Steve, are you up to a visitor?"

"Absolutely, I can't wait to see her"

"Thanks buddy, we'll be up soon"

"Okay Miss Grace, why don't you finish your burger up and we can go to the hospital"

"I want to take it with me daddy"

"Okay wrap it up. I'm going to go use the bathroom so you wait right here for me"

About half an hour later they entered the hospital room relieved to see Steve alert and talking, sitting up in bed.  
>"Hey, there's my little angel. How are you Gracie?" Gracie's eyes lit up as she moved towards the bed. "Danno lift her up here so we can talk" Danny lifted the little girl and sat her next to Steve and he took her tiny hand in his, "Thank you so much for coming to visit me sweetheart, it's so good to see you"<p>

"Are you okay Uncle Steve?"

"Yes I'm fine. These silly Doctors are just going to keep me here for a little while, but I promise you I'm fine. I feel even better after seeing you!"

Gracie smiled from ear to ear looking to her dad and then back to Steve,  
>"I brought you something?"<p>

"Oh yeah, you brought me a present?" Gracie pulled her back pack from her shoulders and pulled out the napkin wrapped, half-eaten cheeseburger, soaked with ketchup and mustard. Danny pulled his hand to his face trying to avoid laughing.

"What's this Gracie?"  
>"Daddy said you wanted a beer. I thought you might like my burger with it, it was really good. I don't like chicken broth either Uncle Steve"<p>

"Thank you very much. I will eat this for dinner" He whispered, "This... place has horrible... food"

Danny could tell that Steve's pain was increasing, "Monkey you give Steve a hug now but be gentle okay, the nurses will only let us stay for a few minutes so we have to get you home now" Danny grabbed her back pack and helped her lean gently against Steve as he hugged her. She then kissed him on the cheek and Danny picked her up, backing away from the bed.

Steve looked at the little girl and smiled, "Gracie, can you do me a huge favor? Can you draw and color me some pretty...pictures for my walls here. I would sure love it"

"I will, I'll start tonight, bye bye Uncle Steve, bye bye Catherine" She was beaming as Danny led her from the room. He turned and mouthed 'Thank You' to Steve and playfully blew him a kiss.

Catherine smiled and took the burger from Steve's hands, "She's so adorable"

"Yes, she's very...special to me...Cath...I think I need some more...pain meds, k'..." Catherine rang the nurse who again increased the drip and soon Steve was under.

Steve was still sleeping when Danny returned at about seven o'clock. Catherine stood to greet him and they embraced. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's been sleeping since you left"

"I shouldn't have brought her up, it was too much for him"

"No, Danny don't be silly. Gracie being here was good for him. He's just tired"

Steve spoke, "I'm awake…can I have my burger and beer now?"

They all chuckled, "Sorry about that brother. I didn't know she had that with her"

"I love that kid man. She's so sweet"

"How are you feeling brother?"

"I'm hungry…I want my burger"

Catherine chuckled, "Stop it now Steve, I'll go have the nurse sent you in a dinner tray"

Danny moved to the bedside, "Thank you brother for seeing Gracie. She was really worried about you"

"Is she alright now?"

"Thanks to you, yeah….she's great. She wouldn't even do her homework, she started the pictures for you. I know that visit was hard on you….."

Steve interrupted him, "Don't be silly Danno. I loved every minute she was here. I love her very much"

"And she loves you brother. Rachel and step-Stan send their love as well"

Steve chuckled, "Tell them thanks man"

Catherine returned to tell the men that a dinner tray would be brought in shortly. She came over and kissed Steve, "If Danny here can handle you, I'm going to go pick MaryAnn up and we're going to grab a bite to eat. She will be up here to relieve Kono in the morning and I'll be back up around lunch time okay?"

"Sounds good sweetheart, I love you"

"I love you too baby. Sleep well"


	20. Chapter 20

Before eating Danny helped Steve to the bathroom and then he ate a very small amount of broth and jello, skipping the tea. "You know brother, the burger would have been a lot better. Gracie's a very smart girl"

"My friend, if you're going to puke on me I'd rather it be green jello and not chunks of hamburger"

"Danny…I need you to do me couple of favors….I'm going to marry Catherine buddy"

"Are you sure about this man? Are you thinking clear enough to make this kind of decision?"

"I've never been more sure of anything Danno. I can't believe I almost lost her. I didn't tell you this but when we broke it off a couple of months ago, I had bought a ring earlier that week. I was going to propose to her and because of my selfishness I let her walk out of my life. She's back, we've talked and we're going to make this work. I'm going to ask her to marry me tomorrow and I'd like you to bring me the ring. It's in the drawer of my bed stand"

"Of course I'll bring it. I'll pick it up tonight and bring it to you in the morning on my way to the office. If it means anything, I think this is one of the smartest things you've ever done. She's beautiful inside and out man….what the hell does she see in you anyway?"

Steve smiled broadly, "I don't know…..but I need to correct my mistake"

"You had a couple of favors, what else do you need?"

"Danny, I've been thinking very hard about Julia…..how can I have had any feelings of love towards her when I have these deep feelings for Catherine?"

"Do you think you're the first man to be in love with two beautiful women at the same time, 'cause you're not. Steve….. when you and Catherine separated did you think your feelings would just switch off? You've been with her for almost three years. So you dated Julia, call it a rebound if you want to but your head was telling you to move on. I have no doubt that your feelings for Julia are real but I doubt you would have even been considering proposing to her. Follow your heart my friend, just follow your heart"

"Thanks Danny….I have made a decision about Julia though. I don't want to press any charges against her. I need you to let Governor Denning know that"

"No man…Steve please, don't make a rash decision about this. She betrayed you babe"

"I know that, but Danny if she hadn't of called you….I would be dead, and you know that. She lost her sister and she followed her brother's lead out of devotion. Jonathan lost his mind and he controlled her. Danny I can't believe that she wanted this…she made a mistake…..I can't have her go to prison. She's lost enough, can't you understand that?"

"Damn it Steve…." He stood and ran his hands through his hair and stood for a minute or so staring out the window. He then turned back to his partner, "This is crazy, you know that don't you? You are telling me that you think that two weeks in a county jail is enough punishment for a woman who plotted to have you killed?"

"No, but I think two weeks is enough for the role she played. She SAVED MY LIFE Danno…she saved….. mmmy….. life" Suddenly, Steve's breathing became very rapid and tears formed in his eyes.

Danny raced to his side, "Hey buddy calm down…Steve, listen to me, relax and slow your breathing down" Danny held Steve's hand tightly and pressed his other hand against his partners chest. He could feel Steve's heart beating rapidly, pounding in his chest, and it terrified him, "Come on babe, relax…you're alright now, relax" Danny leaned up and wiped the tears slipping down Steve's cheeks and then he leaned over and pushed the nurses call button. She was at the bedside instantly, "He needs more pain meds please"

"DANNO, NO…NO DRUGS MAN"

Danny looked at the nurse, "I'm his POA, please give him the drugs"

The nurse checked Steve's chart and then gave him the additional medication. "DDannyyy nnooo ddrugs man" Steve mumbled as the drugs took effect.

"Ssshhhh, just relax partner…sleep now…relax" In just minutes Steve was under. Danny kept his hand against Steve's chest, willing his heart rate to slow down. "That a boy, sleep now…just sleep" Once Steve's heart rate slowed and Danny was sure he was under he turned and went back to the window and dialed Chin.

"Hey Danny, is everything okay?" 

"I blew it man. Jesus, Chin the man is fighting for his life and I egg him into an argument...can you tell me what the hell is wrong with me?" 

"Danny slow down bro, first tell me, is Steve alright?" 

"Yes...yes...no thanks to me though, but yes he's sleeping now" 

"Okay, everything's fine then..." 

"Oh no Chin...everything's not okay. The Docs may say our boys' brain is fine but no, no...he's crazy. I'm telling you he's crazy" 

"Buddy you better give me some details, and quickly...you're driving me crazy" 

"Get this...our boy wants to let Julia walk...walk free, NO punishment. I'm telling you he's crazy!" 

"What are his reasons?" 

"He's convinced that she was manipulated by her brother and that she just made a mistake" 

"Well Danny, we both talked to her, do you really think he's not right?" 

"Chin...a mistake is spilling your milk or forgetting someone's birthday. For God's sake she drugged him and tried to kill him!" 

"Danny, calm down now and think about this. She called us, she saved his life" 

"My God, you sound just like him...YOU'RE CRAZY TOO" 

"So you told him he was crazy?" 

"Yes, I did...and he's pumped full of drugs man, he's not thinking clearly" 

"So what happened?" 

"I got him all riled up, his heart was practically beating out of his chest. Jesus, what's wrong with me?" 

"He's okay though?" 

"Yeah, the nurse increased his pain meds and he's sleeping comfortably now" 

"Okay Danny, do you want my opinion?" 

"You pretty much already gave it to me, didn't you?"

Chin chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I did. I think when he comes to, just ask him to wait a couple days and think it through. If mind is still set then, well buddy we have to respect that. Steve's as smart as they come and you need to trust his judgment on this"

"You're right, that's what I'll do" 

"Danny, promise me, no more arguments. Let the man recover okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm sorry" 

"You two have always egged each other on and that's never going to stop. It's just how you communicate. Just keep your cool for now brother, everything will work out. Do you want me to come up?" 

"No, you've got the night shift tomorrow, get some rest. Thank You" 

"Anytime brother, anytime" 

Danny then took a seat next to the bedside and taking hold of his hand, Danny closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.  
>He woke a couple of hours later to Steve hand squeezing his, "Hey buddy, how you feeling?" <p>

"I'm oka...y...just a litt..llle sore" 

"I'm sure you're more than a little sore. Steve, I'm really sorry... I shouldn't be arguing with you" 

"Don't be...ss...silly. I value...your oppin...ion. But...I'mm right and...you know it"  
>Steve smiled weakly up at his partner. <p>

Danny squeezed his hand tightly, "Can you agree with me on one thing buddy? Just think about it for a couple of days. Then if you still want her released, you won't hear any arguments from me, okay?" 

"Fair eenn..ough. I'm prretty tired bud..." 

"Okay, if you're asleep when Kono gets here, I'll see you in the morning with your package. Do you need more pain meds?" 

"No, no thanks Danno...Thirss..tty man"  
>Danny helped Steve take a few sips of water and settle back onto the pillow. The injured man was sleeping in minutes. <p>


	21. Chapter 21

Steve was sitting up in a chair chatting with Kono early the next morning when Danny arrived a little after six o'clock.

"Hey, look at you brother. You're looking much better than you were when I left last night, how do you feel? 

"Good man, I slept through the night and I'm feeling good. Kono's already had me walking the halls this morning!" 

"That's great, maybe we need to keep her here. You puke on Catherine and argue with me. Looks like the lady here has got you under control" 

They both smiled at Kono as she spoke, "What are you doing here Danny, I thought Catherine was coming in this morning?" 

"She is...I just needed to check up on my partner here since he was so feisty yesterday. Why don't you go ahead and head home Kono, I'll stay until Catherine arrives. Go get some sleep"

Kono moved to Steve, kissing him on the cheek, "I'll be back tomorrow boss, you keep fighting, we need you back soon. I love you" 

"I love you too dear. Thank You" 

Once Kono had left the room, Danny pulled out the little velvet box holding Catherine's engagement ring. 

"This is quite an impressive rock my friend, well done" 

"I'm kind of nervous about it Danno" 

"You don't have to rush into this you know" 

"Like you said yesterday, I've been with her for three years. I should have done THIS two years ago" 

"Then why are you nervous about it?" 

"She knows about my relationship with Julia...what if she says no?" 

"Steven, I've spent a lot of time with that woman over the last two weeks and I promise you my friend, she will NOT be saying no to you. Have you ever proposed to anyone before?" 

"No...I've been in love a few times, but no...she's truly been the only person I can honestly say that I want to have in my life forever, that I want to grow old with" 

"Oh yeah, what about me? You sure know how to hurt a guy, partner" 

Steve's shoulders shook as the comment caused him to erupt in laughter,  
>"Oh stop man...God it hurts to laugh..." <p>

"Why you laughing, I'm serious brother!" Tears of laughter were rolling down both their cheeks. 

"Dann..oo sstoppp...stopppp...hurrt's mmann" 

"Okay, sorry man...where do you want me to put this rock?"  
>Steve took a few moments to compose himself before telling Danny to put it into the small pull drawer on his food tray. <p>

"Can I ask you to do me another favor?" 

"They're really adding up here pal. What do you need?" 

"I can't ask a girl to marry me looking like this. Can you give a close shave?" 

"So you're gonna trust me with a razor to your throat?" 

"I trust you with my life babe and I always will" 

By the time Cath arrived, Steve was clean shaven and Danny had helped him to the bathroom and he was back in bed and resting, his eyes closed.

Danny and Catherine chatted for a few minutes and as Danny was leaving the room Steve called out to him, "Danno...Thanks for everything man. Have a good day"

"You too, give me call later on 'k? You get some rest now" 

"Will do brother" 

The morning was uneventful as Steve slept most of the time. Around noon the nurse arrived with his lunch, another liquid diet meal.

"Cath, before I eat can we talk?" 

"Sure sweetheart, what is it?" 

"Can you go shut the door?" 

Catherine did as he asked and turned to face him, a look of concern on her face. 

Steve had taken the ring from the drawer while her back was turned. 

As she reached the bed she spoke, "Steve, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing's wrong Cath I promise. Come sit next to me babe" He patted the bed and she sat, nestling up to him. He reached out and took her hand in his.

"Catherine, two months ago I made a horrible mistake when I let you walk out of my life and today I hope to correct that mistake" His voice was shaking and tears pooled in his eyes as he continued, "I know this is not the most romantic of settings but I can't let this go another day. I love you with all my heart Cath, and I don't want to ever spend another day without you. Catherine Rollins, will you marry me?" Steve opened his closed hand which held the beautiful diamond ring.

Tears were streaming down both their faces as Catherine answered gleefully,  
>"Oh Steve yes! I want nothing more than to be your wife. I love you sweetheart, I love you so much!"<p>

He placed the ring on her finger and she leaned over and kissed him passionately. 

About an hour later Danny called in on Catherine's phone and she handed it to Steve. 

"Okay Steven, I've been on pins and needles all day...have you asked her yet? 

"Yes partner... the answer is yes" Steve held the phone away from his ear as Danny screamed with delight causing both Steve and Cath to chuckle. 

He brought the phone back to his ear as Danny continued, "I'm so happy for you Steve. So happy for both of you. You are a wonderful couple, tell Cath I love her and I'll be up in a couple of hours. I love you brother" 

"Thanks Danny, I love you too man" He was smiling broadly as he handed Catherine the phone, "Danny sends his love" 

"Is he the only one who knows about this?" 

"Yeah, I needed him to bring me the ring" 

"He's such a dear friend" 

"Yes, I couldn't ask for a better partner and friend. I'm going to ask him to be my best man Cath" 

"I agree, it could be no one else!" 

"Honey, I need to talk to you about something very serious. Danny thinks I'm wrong..." 

Cath took hold of his hand, "Go on Steve, what is it?" 

Steve went on to tell her all about Julia, all about the last few weeks. "I'm very sorry Cath. I don't want to hurt you but I want to be totally honest. I do care for her and I'm worried about her. As crazy as it sounds, I think my feelings for her have truly made me fully understand that you are the only one for me. My love for you is so much deeper. I have never needed another person like I need you Cath and I promise you no one will ever come between us. Can you forgive me?"

Steve reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "We were apart Steve, you have nothing to apologize for. When Danny called and told me you'd been hurt...I have never been so afraid. I thought I would never be able to tell you how much I loved you and how sorry I was. I know I hurt you and I'm so very sorry. God has given us a second chance at love and I am the luckiest girl in the world. Our lives together start today Mr. McGarrett and I also pledge to you that no one will ever come between us"

The two kissed and then Steve continued, telling her of his plans to let Julia go free. She ran her hand through his hair, "Are you sure that's what you really want to do?" 

"I think it's the right thing to do Cath. She's lost her entire family. I know that's no excuse for what she did and that's Danny's argument but when it comes right down to it she saved my life. If she hadn't of called Danny I would have died in that cave...I'm certain of that" 

"Then do it sweetheart. If it will bring peace and closure to you that's all that matters. See her if you need to, I understand and I trust what you're doing is best for both of us" 

"Thank you Catherine" The two kissed tenderly and they were soon interrupted by the nurse as she came in to check his vitals and to give him the news that they would be giving him soft foods for dinner, no more liquid diet.


	22. Chapter 22

Danny arrived around five o'clock with several beautiful drawings from Grace for the walls. Steve was eating soft boiled eggs and toast along with vanilla pudding and apple juice. "Well, well bro...that looks wonderful...yuck" 

"Trust me buddy its 100% better than the liquid crap" 

Danny moved over to Catherine and embraced her tightly, giving her a kiss, "Congratulations my dear, I'm so very happy for you. All teasing aside, he's a hell of a guy...actually a hell of a lucky guy to have you. I wish you much joy and happiness" 

Catherine kissed Danny again, Thank you Danny" 

Danny then made way to his partner, leaning in to give him a firm hug,  
>"Congratulations partner, love you man" <p>

"Thanks Danno, 'um Cath and I were talking and buddy I would love it if you'd be my best man" 

Danny stood back beaming, "I AM HONORED, of course, of course I accept. Thank you"

They all chatted as Steve finished his food and then deciding they didn't want anyone to hear the news from anyone but them, they called MaryAnn, Chin and Kono with news of the engagement. Everyone was ecstatic for the couple.

Steve then turned to face Danny. "Danny, about Julia..." 

"Let's not go there today partner, we're talking about happy things...let's not go there" 

"Buddy, Cath and I talked it over. My mind's made up brother, I need you to talk to Governor Denning for me. I don't want her charged. We can go after Jonathan and throw the book at him, but I want her to walk Danny" 

"I told you I would do what you ask and respect any decision you made, so fine...I'll talk to Denning in the morning and have the papers drawn up" 

"Thank you. I also want to see her" 

"Steve...why? What good will that do you brother?" 

"I need to see her Danny" 

"Okay, then I think you should see her first. If you have to see her for closure, then see her before I talk to Denning" 

"It won't change my mind" 

"Maybe not, but if its closure you need then lets do it right" 

"Can you bring her up here tomorrow?" 

"Yes, let's plan around ten, how's that sound?" 

"Sounds good. Can you also bring Gracie up here tomorrow night?" 

"Sure, are you going to be up to it?" 

"I'm always up to seeing her. We want to see if she'll be the flower girl in the wedding" 

The proud daddy was beaming, "Well I can give you the answer to that one! I won't tell her anything about the wedding so you can surprise her. She'll be absolutely thrilled! Now she's going to have Aunt Catherine in her life" 

Catherine added, "That's fabulous! Danny, I have no problem staying until Chin arrives tonight. Why don't you go get a good night's rest" 

Danny smiled slyly at Steve, "Are you two trying to get rid of me?" 

Steve spoke first, No, of course not" but Catherine chimed in "Speak for yourself sweetheart!" 

The all smiled and after embracing them both Danny began walking towards the door, "Now Catherine, be gentle with my boy he's hurt you know. He can't take much excitement" They were all giggling as Danny exited the room. 

Chin arrived around ten o'clock and fortunately Steve was doing very well and they both were able to sleep through the night. 


	23. Chapter 23

Danny arrived shortly after ten in the morning with Julia. Steve's heart sank as she walked into the room. She looked horrible, pale and unkept.  
>Danny had her sit in a chair several feet from Steve and he handcuffed her to rail near the window. <p>

Chin spoke quietly to Steve, "Are you sure you don't want us in the room?" 

"No, I'm fine buddy" 

Danny then came to Steve, "I'll be watching from the window. You motion to me if you need me" Steve nodded understanding and the men left the room.

Julia sat staring at the floor, as Steve turned towards her, "Look at me Julia….look at me!" his voice was firm and steady. She slowly raised her head to face Steve. Their eyes met and after several seconds he broke the silence, "Talk to me Julia…..this is your chance"

"When Jenna found out that Josh was still alive she was so happy. She was going to travel to North Korea alone and we were trying hard to convince her that it wasn't safe for her to do that. We thought we had her convinced that Johnny would go with her. Two days before they were going to leave Jenna disappeared. We didn't have any details about where in North Korea she would be going and we were terrified for her. She called me the night before she left with you. She told me about you and your training as a Seal. She told me about what a fine man you were. She told us you'd protect her and Johnny had no military training…she was protecting him. When she died, Johnny never even cried Steve, his mind snapped and he was never the same. All he could talk about avenging her death. There was no way for us to find out who actually killed her in North Korea, the CIA wouldn't give us any information. All Johnny could do was blame you, he had a name…..it didn't matter to Johnny that you didn't pull the trigger…..you were someone he could blame and someone he could get to. He told me of his plans, I tried to talk him out of it, I swear to you I did. Everytime I brought it up he would become violent with me. He had never hit anybody before Jenna died but after….I was truly afraid of him. He told me the only way he could go on would be if he could kill you, to get closure. Steve, as much as he scared me, I was even more afraid that he would kill himself. I love him and he's my only family. It's no excuse and I will take whatever punishment is coming my way but you need to know that my feelings for you were real. You are a kind and honorable man and I could not stand by and watch Johnny kill you. I'm very relieved to see you. I can never expect you to forgive me but I thank you for seeing me. Please believe me when I tell you I'm so happy you are recovering and I wish you nothing but happiness"

Steve watched her closely as the tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke. He had a skill for reading people and he knew, he knew deep down that her words were genuine. They sat quietly for a couple of minutes and then he spoke, "I brought you here for a reason Julia. I wanted to hear everything from you directly. I believe you Julia. I've decided not to press any charges against you"

Julia looked up, "What? What are you saying Steve?"

"I'm not going to press any charges against you. I do understand, and I do forgive you Julia. I cannot do anything for Jonathan and he will face charges but you will be released in the next couple of days, you'll be free to go"

"I don't know what to say…thank you"

"I want you to live your life and be happy. Put this behind you and find happiness" Steve turned towards the window and motioned for Danny and Chin to re-enter.

"Danny will take you downtown and Chin will go meet with Governor Denning to process your release. Goodbye Julia"

As Chin led Julia from the room, Danny stopped briefly at Steve's side, "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm doing the right thing Danno, I know I am"

"Okay brother, Catherine and MaryAnn are outside, I'll send them in. I'll be back a little later with Grace. Get some rest bro"

"Thanks Danny"

The men nodded to each other and Danny made his way out of the hospital.

Danny drove in silence occasionally peering at Julia in the rear-view mirror. A couple of miles from the jail Danny pulled off into a parking lot. He shut the engine off and without turning to face Julia he spoke. "I want you to understand something Julia. I do not agree with Steve on this, I think you should spend years in jail for what you've done. He cares for you and he's a good and decent man. He's my partner and I love him. You hurt him deeply and he may forgive you but I don't. I expect you to be on a plane and back to the mainland by Monday. You will NEVER attempt to contact Steve again and if you do, you will have to answer to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes Danny I understand but I have no money for a plane ticket"

"I'll buy your ticket. I'll get you the flight information before you're released"

"Thank you Danny"

"Don't thank me, just disappear and never come back to Hawaii" She nodded in agreement and he pulled back into traffic.

A couple of hours later, Danny and Grace entered the hospital room to find everyone else there. "Gracie, Thank you for all the beautiful artwork it brightens up the room so much" The little girl smiled at her Uncle Steve and said hello to everyone else as Danny lifted her up onto the bed. Steve took her hands in his, "Gracie I have some really good news and a favor to ask you"

"What's the news?"

"Well my dear, Catherine and I are getting married" Catherine moved in close to show Gracie the ring.

"That's great news! That's a really pretty ring Catherine. When's the wedding?"

Steve again spoke, "We haven't picked a day yet but can I ask you my favor?" Gracie smiled and nodded her head giggling, "Sweetheart, Catherine and I would like you to be the flower girl in our wedding, would you do that for us?"

She was bouncing on the bed in glee, "OH YES!"

Danny reached out to grab her shoulders, "Keep still baby, Uncle Steve is still hurt"

Steve added, "I'm fine Danno, This is exciting isn't it Gracie!"

"Yes, I can't wait. I've never been in a wedding before. Do I get to wear a pretty dress?"

"You sure do sweetheart and Catherine and I have a present for you that you can wear at the wedding" Catherine moved closer and handed a small package to the beaming little girl who opened it quickly.

"Uncle Steve it's so beautiful! Danno look!" She showed her father the pretty silver necklace with a heart shaped diamond.

"Steve, Catherine…..this is gorgeous. That's an amazing gift"

Steve lifted his hand stopping Danny, "Our flower girl deserves the best. We love you Gracie" The little girl leaned towards Steve and he pulled her to his chest.

Steve's eyes scoured the room as he looked at all the dear friends who had been so dedicated to him through this ordeal and he sent out a silent prayer of thanks.

Steve McGarrett was a very blessed man.

THE END

************* Thank you to everyone for your kind reviews. This is my first fan fic attempt and your remarks are greatly appreciated **************


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